Double Story
by elenniel
Summary: [TezukaOC, AtobeOC] Hanazawa Yumi and Takahashi Suzume are best friends. Yumi doesn't really know if Tezuka cares about her or not and Suzume doesn't really want Atobe to care about her. UPDATE: Chapter 9 and 10. And it's finished!
1. Chapter 1

**DOUBLE STORY **

When I started this, it was just random bits and pieces, but a friend talked me into writing it properly and putting it up as a Dream Novel on Endless Dreamers. So I did. But I still don't think of it as a Dream Novel though. It's just my own little fanfic. XD

I haven't posted any Prince of Tennis stuff here before, so here goes. :)

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis characters not mine of course. Just the OCs. ahaha

* * *

**Chapter 1 **

"Ah, you came!" said Yumi, smiling.

"Tezuka-kun, you made it! Good to see you again – it's been a while," Suzume said.

"Indeed it has," replied Tezuka, taking the seat beside Yumi. "Sorry for making you wait. I was held up at a meeting."

"We didn't wait long," Yumi assured him.

"It gave us time to pick our food first anyway. Here. Your turn." Suzume pushed a menu towards him. "You might want to try #14. It's really good. I told Yumi, but she doesn't like that sort of thing."

The beeping of a phone in her bag interrupted her. Seeing the caller ID, she frowned slightly.

"What does he want now?" she muttered, before answering it. "Yes? I'm at lunch… No, you can_not_ come. I'm with my friend and – argh!" Suzume stood up and said to Yumi and Tezuka, "Excuse me for a bit" – in a louder voice – "an _idiot_ needs to be sorted out." She walked out of the restaurant to continue her conversation.

The other two watched her go, but said nothing. Tezuka merely continued reading the menu.

"Decided what to eat yet, Tezuka?" asked Yumi, after a few moments.

"Not quite. What are you having?"

"I think I'm going to try #20. Haven't been here before, but Suzume says #23 and #5 are good too."

"I see."

Yumi couldn't help watching him as he studied the menu. He hadn't really changed much since junior high, she thought. Still serious, but a less antisocial now. Taller than he had been in school, which was rather frightening in a way, when one thought about it.

"Perhaps I shall have #3," he said eventually.

"Okay. Should we call the waitress over so we can place our orders?"

"What about Takahashi-san?"

"Oh, that's okay. I know what she wants," said Yumi. "In any case, she's coming back." She pointed to the door, through which walked an exasperated-looking Suzume.

Suzume sat down and slumped in her chair before straightening herself. "Sorry. Looks like we're going to have another person here. My idiot friend insisted on coming. I told him 'no' and hung up, but knowing him, he'll come anyway."

"Who is it?" asked Yumi, trying to recall which of Suzume's "idiot friends" this could be.

Suzume shot her a look and muttered, "Don't ask."

After placing their orders, Yumi excused herself to go to the washroom. Tezuka found his eyes involuntarily following her graceful, confident stride. He noted that both Yumi and Suzume walked similarly – it was the walk of purposeful and successful young women. Even so, he knew that Yumi was often far from self-confident. She had been like that for as long as he'd known her - looking more in control than she really felt.

A crisply-dressed man entered the restaurant. Tezuka's eyebrows rose slightly. Suzume saw him look up and turned. She groaned.

"I knew it. He _would_ come. One day I'll kill him or... Or… Argh. Tezuka-san, I apologise in advance."

"Insignificant muttering does not become you, Suzume."

"Shut up. Who said you could come?"

"Ore-sama does not need anyone's permission for this."

Suzume's eyes flashed, but before she could retort, Atobe suddenly noticed the person opposite her.

"Tezuka?"

"Atobe." He nodded slightly, also surprised at seeing Atobe Keigo, but kept his face impassive.

"Why are you here with him?" demanded Atobe of Suzume.

"You know each other?" she asked Tezuka.

"Ah." He looked at Atobe. "But it's been a long time since we met."

Atobe kept his eyes on her and repeated his question, "Why are you here with him?"

"Can I not be?" she said, defiantly. She _had_ been about to tell him that Tezuka was here at Yumi's invitation, but Atobe's manner of questioning her turned up all her contrariness. Who was he to question her like that anyway? "It's not a crime to be out with a guy."

Atobe fixed his glare on her for a moment before replacing it with his usual smirk. "No indeed," he said, sliding into the seat beside Suzume. "It certainly isn't."

He folded his arms and threw a cool gaze at Tezuka, who merely blinked and said nothing.

"You're being rude," said Suzume.

"Oh? Did I interrupt something?"

Tezuka shifted in his chair. What was she thinking? He suddenly wished Yumi would hurry up and come back. Atobe was glaring daggers at both of them now, and Suzume seemed intent on letting him continue to misunderstand as long as possible. He suspected she was taking revenge on Atobe for his imperious way of barging into her lunch date with friends.

"If you _must_ invite yourself like this, you could at least be nice!"

"You –"

"Back," said Yumi, coming to the table. Tezuka rose to allow her to reach her seat more easily. Atobe stared at her, startled.

"Yumi, this is my idiot friend, Atobe Keigo. Keigo, my colleague, Hanazawa Yumi," said Suzume, a little smugly. "Tezuka-san here is her old friend. His office is nearby, so we invited him for lunch."

Tezuka supposed that if Atobe could feel embarrassed, now was a point when he might be embarrassed indeed.

----------

Suzume flopped down on the sofa in their studio. "That Keigo! He's always so exasperating…"

Yumi laughed, moving to her desk and getting ready to resume work.

"But I didn't know you knew him, Yu."

"Oh, I don't really know him. I've seen him a couple of times and heard of him, but that was back in school."

"Tennis stuff, huh?"

"Yeah. Tezuka and Syuusuke and the others talked about his school quite a bit. 'Hyoutei,' I think it was. Even Saeki knew him."

"I see." Suzume sighed. "No wonder he's still so arrogant. All that attention in school must have really gone to his head. As if it wasn't enough that he's so rich." She got up from the sofa and went to her own table.

Yumi twirled her pencil, staring at the designs in front of her. "You've known Atobe long?"

"_Too_ long, maybe. I've known him since we were kids. Our fathers were classmates in university or something."

"Hmm. Makes sense. Not surprising, since you're so rich and Atobe is too."

"Only I'm not as bratty as he is." She looked over at Yumi. "How _do_ you do that?"

Her dark-haired partner looked up, pencil mid-stroke on the paper. "Do what?"

"Draw and talk about something totally unrelated to your design."

"You do that sometimes too, Suzu."

"But not as often as you do! I swear, sometimes I think you're half a genius."

"Only half?" chuckled Yumi.

"Yeah. I'm the other half." Suzume winked, and both women laughed.

"But Keigo aside," continued Suzume. "How was lunch? Did you have fun?"

"Mm. Yeah," replied the other.

"Maybe we should invite Tezuka to lunch more often…"

Yumi cast a look at Suzume. "O-kay. What's this about?"

Suzume's grey-green eyes glinted. "Well, he's pleasant to have around. And you certainly enjoy having him there."

"Suzu…"

"Oh, come, dear. I think there's really something there. It's not very obvious, but sometimes – _sometimes_ – there's this way he looks at you…"

"Just because he looks at me a certain way sometimes doesn't mean anything," said Yumi. "Though I wish it was true, I just can't believe it unless he actually says something first. For now, we're just friends." A slightly pained look crossed her face at the last sentence, but she returned to the dress she was designing, concentration seemingly doubled.

Suzume watched her friend draw and wished that Tezuka _would_ say something to Yumi. Not that Yumi would pine away for him and be about as much use as a vegetable – no, Yumi was stronger than that. But still… It would be nice to see that particular wish of hers come true.

----------

The phone on his desk rang. Tezuka reached out with his right hand and picked it up almost automatically, though he was still focussed on the latest article just in from one of the journalists.

"Tezuka here," he said, eyes still scanning the papers in his left hand.

"It's me."

He put down the papers and frowned. That voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it at the moment.

"I'm sorry. Who is this?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Are you joking, Tezuka?" came the controlled response. Tezuka knew he'd definitely heard that tone of voice somewhere before. Nevertheless, he just could not remember who it was. It had been a long day at the office, with meetings for the next issue of the magazine and several long new pieces handed in that needed to be checked and edited in the next two days. He was tired and not at all in the mood to play guessing games. An editor's job wasn't easy.

"No, I am not joking."

Another pause.

Tezuka waited. He was giving this person just another twenty seconds to answer. Otherwise, he'd hang up.

"This is Atobe."

"Oh. I see."

"Do you mean to tell me you seriously could not recognise my voice?" was the irritated question from Atobe.

"Before last week, I had not seen you for at least four years, Atobe," said Tezuka, Atobe's self-absorption finally getting to him. "And I only saw you for an hour last week. Do you really think that I have your voice burned into my memory? I am not a hand phone. I don't have caller ID in my brain."

"And here I thought you were all-perfect," said Atobe, sarcastically.

The young editor did not deign to respond to it. He could think of better ways to use his energy than thinking up responses to Atobe. He didn't believe in beating around the bush when he had so much on his hands, so he went straight to the point. "I have a great deal of work to do, Atobe. Is there any reason in particular for this call?"

"Of course. Ore-sama never does things for no reason."

Tezuka had to wonder at Atobe's old habit of referring to himself in that way. He thought he might have given it up after so many years, but apparently it still slipped into his speech.

Unaware of Tezuka's musings on his favourite pronoun, Atobe went on. "If you are free tomorrow night, Tezuka, I should like to meet with you. I have something to discuss with you."

"With me?"

"Yes."

"Discuss what?"

"Meet me for dinner or supper and I'll tell you."

A vague memory stirred in Tezuka's mind. It was something Inui had said not too long ago… It suddenly made more sense now. This could be interesting.

"Supper would be better," he said. "I may not get off work early enough for a proper dinner. Where do you want to meet?"

"Come to my place." Atobe gave him his address, then asked, "You know where it is?"

"I think I do."

"Very well. I'll expect you tomorrow night, Tezuka."

Atobe hung up.

Tezuka looked at the address he had scribbled on a piece of paper. Knowing Atobe, either this was going to be interesting or just plain tiresome. And if it had anything to do with what Inui had mentioned, it was likely to be both. He set it aside and picked up the article he had been reading earlier.

----------

Atobe gently swirled the burgundy-coloured wine in his glass. Leaning back in his chair, he sipped it and looked at the man seated in the chair opposite him.

"If you don't make a move soon, Tezuka, someone else will." Receiving no answer to that, he went on. "Hanazawa-san's not particularly pretty, but there's something intriguing about her." Another sip of wine. "If I didn't have other business to occupy myself with, I might have considered her for myself. I've heard about her from Suzume. She's from a good family, respectable. She has a good head on her shoulders; very sensible. She seems to have the breeding and manners of the upper crust –"

"I don't suppose Takahashi Suzume-san would appreciate such comments from you to another lady," said Tezuka suddenly, feeling unable to keep listening to Atobe talk about how supposedly suitable Hanazawa Yumi might be for him.

Atobe seemed to freeze in place. They stared at each other for a few silent moments; Atobe almost willing Tezuka to speak on and Tezuka maintaining his silence.

Finally, Atobe asked, "How did you know?"

"I have four eyes, Atobe," said Tezuka, dryly. "And there are benefits to knowing Inui," he added, deciding not to let Atobe know that even though Inui _had _mentioned Atobe's interest in a certain Takahashi, it hadn't occurred to him that it was Yumi's partner at first.

"I see." Atobe placed his wine glass on the table. "Well then, at least I can be frank with you."

"Please do."

"We have been rivals for as long as we have known each other, Tezuka Kunimitsu. Perhaps it is time we tried to be friends – given our current interests."

"Our current interests?"

Atobe raised an eyebrow. "Surely you are not ignorant of Suzume and Hanazawa-san's relationship?"

"I know they are friends and colleagues."

"That they are. And do you think that either of our girls would give up their friendship just because we don't happen to get along that well?"

"_Our_ girls? You presume much of my intentions, Atobe."

"I may not have four eyes like you, but I have two and they see things well enough, Tezuka. Perhaps you can fool others, but not me." Atobe placed his elbows on the armrests of the chair and intertwined his fingers. "In any case," he went on, not giving the other man a chance to argue the point, "it appears that we'd probably have to see even more of each other in all sorts of situations to come, and I shouldn't like to irritate or disappoint my girl by not getting along with a good friend's other half."

"Nor I," said Tezuka. "But Hanazawa-san is not 'mine,' and nor, I think, is Takahashi-san 'yours,' Atobe."

A vaguely irritated look passed over Atobe's face. Then the heir to the Atobe business empire tossed his hair lightly and a smirk replaced the irritation. "Tezuka, Tezuka. You do underestimate me – and yourself."

"What do you mean?" asked Tezuka, without a hint of curiosity or puzzlement in his face.

_He really needs to loosen up a bit_, thought Atobe. Aloud, he said, "You don't know? Come now, Tezuka… You and I are both men who usually – if not always – get what we want, either by hard work, circumstance or our own charms. We find our goals, aim and work towards them."

"Hanazawa-san and Takahashi-san are not goals that can be 'got' by mere hard work," Tezuka said. "_Or_ charm," he added, seeing the words coming on Atobe's lips. "I do not believe either of them is the type to be so easily won."

"Makes the chase all the more interesting," said Atobe, reaching for his wine glass again.

"Atobe," began Tezuka.

The other man threw him an irritated glance. "Don't get all good and wise on me, Tezuka!" he snapped. Downing the little remainder of the wine, he replaced the glass on the table and looked straight at Tezuka. "I'll have you know, Tezuka, that I'm not kidding about Suzume. Not in the least. If you think she's one of my flirtations or passing fancies, you're wrong."

Tezuka studied Atobe for a while. "You really care for Takahashi-san?" he said, simply.

"Care?" cried Atobe, with a dry laugh. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Let this be the first friendly confidence between us, Tezuka, and get this straight: I love Takahashi Suzume."

The sudden admission took Tezuka by complete surprise. The way Atobe had been talking, he'd figured that Atobe was quite keen on Yumi's friend, but that Atobe could really be in love with her hadn't occurred to him.

"Surprised, are you?"

"I have to admit that I am."

"I expected you to be." Atobe leaned back once more, and closed his eyes, touching his fingers to his temples. "People think I'm heartless. No one expects me to _have_ a heart, much less lose it – not at this age, at least. I'm only twenty-four and just out of university! But I lost it anyway.

"Having lost mine to her, I desire very much to win hers. And I am not a fool. I don't in the least think that Suzume is going to swoon at my feet and kiss me just because I declare that I love her. I'm well aware that she is of more substance than that and will require more than just words and gifts. It will require a good deal of effort. And this, Tezuka," – he pointed at Tezuka, then at himself – "this meeting is an effort in that direction."

"So it would seem."

"You can't say it doesn't make sense. I know – and I'm sure you know too – that Suzume and Yumi are the types who treasure friendship incredibly. Yumi even more than Suzume, I think, from what Suzume has mentioned. It would either pain them or annoy them terribly if their boyfriends did not get along. So it would be in our best interest to start being friendly. It would make things easier on them, and the effort might impress them as well."

Tezuka pushed up his glasses. "You've spent a lot of time thinking about this, Atobe."

Another smirk. "Of course. It merits the effort." He closed his eyes and tilted his head back to face the ceiling. "But that's _my _effort. Yours, however… I believe the core question for you here is – do _you_ really want Hanazawa Yumi?"

Two pairs of eyes met.

"I cannot imagine anyone else in my life."

* * *

Note: 

1. They're all supposed to be around 24 years old at this point in the story. :)

2. The OCs, Yumi and Suzume, are supposed to be fashion designers.

* * *

How was it? . Will post up other chapters if minna-san likes it :) 


	2. Chapter 2

**DOUBLE STORY **

Something to note:

Because I hate to think the OCs have no lives outside of the Tenipuri guys themselves, I do mention names of other people - some just passing mentions, a few who are minor characters - in this fic. Just warning you so you don't get confused. :)

* * *

**Chapter 2 **

Yumi stared at the text message on Suzume's hand phone. She blinked at the words, and then looked up at her friend.

"What's this about?" she asked.

"I don't know," replied Suzume, glaring irritably at the message. "Some random idea of his, I'll bet. Probably engineered to show off his wealth again." She rolled her eyes. "A garden party so near winter! Really…"

"I can go, but I can't bring a date!"

"Can't you ask Fuji-kun?"

"He won't be around then – he'll be on assignment at that time. I think he said he'd be going to Osaka for that one…"

"Oh. Saeki?"

"Are you mad?" Yumi gave her an incredulous look. "I'm not going to ask him to come all the way from Chiba just for that!"

"Tezuka then."

Yumi looked horrified. "I can't!"

"Just ask him as a favour, since you'd be doing this to oblige me and that idiot has stipulated that you must have a date." Suzume sat down in her chair and sighed. "Be glad that at least you have a choice. He's all but ordered me to attend as _his_ date."

"Can't _you_ refuse to go?"

"I wish I could, but Kaede's going to be there, and I know she'll only be around for about three days before she goes off again. I haven't seen her for nearly a year and I won't be able to see her otherwise! If you recall, we have a string of client appointments all around then, thanks to all the winter galas and events coming up."

Now it was Yumi's turn to sigh. Atobe Keigo could not have arranged it better if he had done it on purpose. To have it at one of the busiest times of the year for them, and that Suzume's close friend – his first cousin – Atobe Kaede, would be in attendance too! It occurred to her that he might have done it on purpose to make sure that Suzume would go. It seemed suspicious enough to her. _But_, she thought, _there's no reason to drag me into this too! Argh…_

"Can I not go?"

"No, you can't! You have to come. He says he has some people who want to meet _both_ of us. Can't miss a chance to gain new clients."

"But – "

"Just ask Tezuka or Oishi or one of your other friends."

"Oishi has a girlfriend already! How could I? The same goes for Endou-kun. And Yamada isn't even in Japan…"

"Ask Tezuka," said Suzume, resolutely. "I don't think he'll say no if he's free on that day. Besides, you'd like going with _him_ a lot better than with the others, right?"

"That's why I can't ask! You know that!" protested Yumi.

"If you don't ask him, _I'll_ ask him for you."

"No!" If anything, having Suzume ask for her was worse than asking him herself. No telling what sort of impression he would get from that.

----------

A timid knock on the door made him look up. It was the new intern.

"Uhm, Tezuka-san?"

"What is it?"

"Kaneda-san asked me to leave these papers with you. He said to pass them back to him by the end of the day."

"I see. Just leave put them over here," he said, indicating one side of the table with his hand. "Thank you."

When the young intern left, Tezuka's thoughts returned to the message he had just gotten from Yumi, asking him if he could do her the favour of accompanying her to Atobe Keigo's garden party, and listing briefly why she _had_ to go. That was followed by an apology characteristically Yumi: … _So sorry to bother you about it, but I don't know who else to ask. It's okay if you can't or don't want to go. Really. Just let me know._

Tezuka didn't need to check his planner. He already knew that he was free on that day. Atobe had made sure of that.

"I can't be sure of what Fuji will be doing on that day," Atobe had said when Tezuka brought up the possibility that Yumi might ask the blue-eyed photographer instead. "But at least I can be sure that _you_ will be free. I'll chance it that Fuji will not available at the time. And so when she asks you, you had better agree, Tezuka."

Under normal circumstances, Tezuka thought he might have actually refused it – just to annoy Atobe. He didn't like being dictated to anymore than the average person. But it looked as though Yumi was clearly in a bind. She only got very apologetic about asking favours when she was truly out of options, and from her message, it appeared that she stood to lose potential clients if she didn't go. He knew Suzume wouldn't be too happy if they lost potential clients. She was a good person, but perhaps a bit _too_ business-minded at times (though it made up for Yumi's lack of entrepreneurship in a way).

Damn, that Atobe was good.

In one stroke, he had managed to set things such that (a) Takahashi Suzume would almost certainly not be able to refuse to go to his party, (b) Yumi would be obligated to go as well, (c) Tezuka would very likely end up attending it with Yumi, and that (d) Tezuka could not refuse to attend with Yumi – for her sake. It was all based on possibilities, there being every chance that Suzume would _not_ go, and therefore Yumi would not need to go either, or that Yumi would ask someone else instead of Tezuka. Yet somehow, it had worked.

He had a feeling if Yumi found out that Atobe was manipulating things like that, she'd devise a way to have her own revenge. Her being so close to Fuji and Saeki Kojirou should have sounded warning bells to Atobe, but apparently it didn't. Even if Atobe was oblivious to the signs, Tezuka knew better. The three of them together were a recipe for devious genius – the deceptively gentle, but sly Fuji, the clever and mischievous Saeki, and Yumi, her reserved façade masking a cunning potential equal to either of her friends. The biggest difference was that Yumi didn't often use that cunning, whereas Fuji and Saeki used it mercilessly on everyone else. But when she decided to put it to use… Well, perhaps someday he'd warn Atobe. Or not.

----------

She got out of the car and dusted a piece of lint off her jacket. Looking at Tezuka, who had come round from his side of the car, she asked, "Do I look okay?"

_More than okay_, was his private reaction, but all he said was, "You look nice."

Yumi smiled. "Thanks. Can't be looking bad in front of whoever this potential client is that Atobe wants to introduce us to."

"You'll be fine," he assured her, as they walked towards the garden.

Suzume saw them and came to greet them. She was followed soon after by Atobe, who calmly strolled up and drawled, "Hanazawa-san, good of you to come. Ah, Tezuka, I see _you're_ here too."

Tezuka gave him an even stare, nodding in greeting. Suzume shot Atobe a severe look.

"Be nice."

"I haven't said anything that's _not_ nice yet," said Atobe, defensively. "Matter of fact, I was just about to compliment them on their delightful colour scheme."

Yumi turned a distinct pink colour. It had happened that both of them had chosen to wear similar colours – she had on a maroon blouse with brown slacks and a beige jacket, Tezuka wore a deep red shirt with black pants and a white coat. It had given her a slight shock when she saw him and instantly saw the similarities in colour, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it at the time.

"It was a coincidence, Atobe," said Tezuka. "And, given _certain _circumstances" – he gave him a meaningful glare at that – "I suppose it doesn't matter if we do happen to match. After all, you're the one who asked your guests to come as pairs."

Before Atobe could come up with a suitable retort, Suzume poked him hard on the arm. "Stop teasing. Coincidences happen. And besides, Tezuka's shirt is rather more of a wine red colour than maroon. But of course, _you_ wouldn't be able to tell."

"I can see colours as well as you can," snapped Atobe.

"I'm sure you can. You just can't differentiate them," she said. "It takes the trained eye of artists to do that, right, Yumi? Now…" Suzume took hold of Atobe's arm. "I'll be right back. Just let me deposit this guy somewhere first so he doesn't bother us so much. Have a drink or something in the meantime." She waved a hand towards the tables where the food and drink were, before hauling him off.

Yumi smiled wryly, watching the high-and-mighty Atobe being bossed around by someone else for once. "In spite of it all, I think she's rather fond of him, actually," she said. "As friends, anyway."

Tezuka felt that Atobe was getting his just desserts if Suzume was ordering him around. He deserved it. Atobe would never be a hen-pecked husband, but if his wife could keep him in line somewhat, it'd make him a more bearable person on the whole. And at the moment it looked like Takahashi Suzume was the only woman who might be able to do that.

He looked at Yumi and saw that there was still a faint blush across her cheeks.

"Don't worry about it."

"Hm?"

"The colour thing. Don't mind it."

"Oh…" She glanced away for a moment, hoping she hadn't gone red again at the reminder.

"Yea, I know…"

"And if I'm here as your date today, I think it's all right if we match in colour for once."

Yumi turned at the unexpected statement, and got an even bigger surprise. Tezuka was smiling down at her – a small smile, but one of his rare real smiles. He'd gotten a lot better at smiling after getting out of school, but for Tezuka to _really_ smile was still somewhat rare.

"That was a rather Syuusuke-like comment," she remarked, smiling back.

"Must be your influence and his," he said. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Sure."

----------

Atobe walked over to his friends, his right hand rubbing his left shoulder. Shishido looked at him.

"What's wrong with your shoulder?"

"I hit something," he said. _More like something hit **me**_, he thought, grimly. Suzume had hit him on the shoulder a little harder than usual after telling him in no uncertain terms to stop teasing Yumi. For someone who didn't like sports, Suzume had an awfully strong hand.

"Oh? Unusual for you to be so clumsy," said Oshitari, placidly.

"Where's Rika?" Atobe asked Shishido, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"She went over to talk to Choutarou's girl," he replied.

"Ah. And where's Ohtori himself?"

"Don't know. He got a phone call and walked off somewhere."

"Where's Suzume?" queried Oshitari. "I thought I saw her with you earlier."

"She went to talk to Kaede."

"Suzume? That the girl you're dating, Atobe?" Shishido looked curiously at him. He had heard the name a few times from Atobe and Oshitari, but couldn't recall having ever seen her.

"The girl he _wishes_ he's dating," said Oshitari, before Atobe could answer, and pretended not to see the death glares Atobe sent his way.

Shishido gave an exaggerated astonished gasp. "The great Atobe is having trouble with a woman? I wouldn't have believed it!"

"I'll have you know that she's here today as _my _date," Atobe said.

"And I'll bet you bribed or coerced her into it somehow," said Oshitari immediately.

Atobe's expression turned haughty. "Ore-sama doesn't need to do such a thing."

Silence. Oshitari stared blankly at him and Shishido cocked his head to one side and looked at Atobe.

"Whatever made you do that, Atobe?" Shishido asked, innocently. "That's rather underhanded for you."

Atobe felt the metaphorical vein in his head go 'pop'. Obviously, Shishido and Oshitari were deriving a lot of fun out of this. They were practically laughing at him now.

A tall young man with a boyish face came up to join the group. "Ah, Atobe-senpai! The food is really great, and – er, what's the joke?" he asked, seeing Oshitari and Shishido with obvious mirth written all over their faces.

"Nothing much, Choutarou," said Shishido, grinning. "Just that Atobe here is having some difficulty with a certain lady, it seems."

"Ehh??" Ohtori turned towards his former captain. "Really? Who?"

Atobe felt a distinct desire to throttle his former team mates.

Suzume saved Oshitari and Shishido from strangulation by making an appearance at that moment. Oshitari saw her first and waved to her.

"Takahashi Suzume!" called Oshitari loudly. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted gleefully that Atobe had started rather visibly when he'd called her name. "There you are! I was just asking Atobe where you were."

She grinned and said, "Yuushi, good to see you again. How are you?"

"Well enough, thanks. Ah." He turned towards the others and with a sweeping hand gesture, said, "These are some of our team mates from school, Suzume. Shishido Ryou and Ohtori Choutarou." To the latter two, he said, "And _this_ is Takahashi Suzume."

"More of Keigo's schoolmates? Glad to meet you," she said, extending her hand to shake theirs in turn.

Shishido looked keenly at her. "So _you're_ Takahashi Suzume," he said. "I've heard a lot about you from Oshitari and Atobe."

"Oh no… What have these two been saying about me?" Suzume cast a joking glare at Atobe.

"Keigo, you haven't been badmouthing me to your friends, have you?"

"Indeed not!" exclaimed Atobe with an indignant look.

"Oh, don't worry, Takahashi-san," said Shishido. "Quite the opposite, really. He's been giving us the impression that you are a very – _interesting_ person."

Oshitari felt like laughing. What Shishido had said was true in a way. Somehow managing to hold Atobe's attentions for so long made her _very_ interesting indeed to his friends. And Oshitari knew for a fact that she was the reason Atobe had never really had any serious relationship apart from a single instance when he had had a girlfriend back in high school.

He looked at Atobe, who looked rather sullen and annoyed at the moment. Rather atypical of him, but Oshitari knew that he and Shishido _had_ been aggravating. Oh, Atobe definitely did not like the fun they were getting out of the whole situation.

----------

Yumi felt a bit tired. Suzume had eagerly taken her to meet Kaede, after which Atobe had come and taken them off to meet the 'potential client' Suzume had talked about (who turned out to be a local television sitcom actress) and _then_ she had been introduced to some of Atobe's friends – Tezuka seemed to recognise them, and vice versa, so they were probably in the whole tennis circle.

That had been rather awkward, actually. The minute they laid eyes on Tezuka and made the connection between him and her, she had felt like she was a specimen in an exotic bird exhibit. The one called Oshitari (she did remember Fuji talking about him before) had asked her if she was Tezuka's girlfriend and although she had laughed it off best as she could – pushing the blame to their host, who, for some reason seemed to be in a rather bad mood all of a sudden – she still felt embarrassed. And a little wistful. She had to be honest with herself; part of her did wish it was true.

She picked out a few juicy-looking slices of fruit and put them on a plate before heading back to join the others. When she got back, Suzume was there talking to Kaede, but Tezuka was nowhere to be seen.

"Suzu, where's Tezuka?"

"I'm not sure," said Suzume, frowning slightly and looking around. "He was here just now…"

"I think he went somewhere with Keigo. I saw them going towards the house a few minutes ago," said Kaede in her gentle, lilting voice. "Would you like me to go look for them?"

"Ah. Thanks, but it's okay. I think I'll go look for them myself." Yumi wondered how it was that Atobe's cousin could be so soft-spoken when he was quite the opposite.

Walking towards the shaded porch that led to a lounge, Yumi marvelled at the grandeur of Atobe's home. Suzume's house was as large as this one was, but it had a much simpler appearance. The Atobe residence just reeked of splendour and rich detail, not too unlike a Renaissance-era home.

There was no one in the room when she entered it, but she heard voices coming from the ante-room on the left. The door to that was slightly ajar, and going nearer, she recognised the voices as Atobe's and Tezuka's.

_Ah, found them_, she thought. She was about to knock on the door and go in, when the next words froze her in place.

"Don't give me excuses, Tezuka! I'm giving you a _great_ opportunity here. Why don't you just say something to Hanazawa already? Here I am trying to help you and you're wasting the chance…"

Her brows furrowed. Were they talking about her? What was going on?

"I do not recall exactly asking for your help," was the terse reply.

"Whether you asked for it or not, I am giving it anyway."

Yumi didn't really catch his next words – it sounded like Atobe had moved off to one side – but she heard a few phrases that sounded like: "… for your own good… Hanazawa… admit it…"

Tezuka said something in reply, which she also did not manage to hear clearly. Atobe's irked voice rose again, saying, "You're absolutely infuriating!"

"And you, Atobe, are too presuming. You presume too much –"

At that point, Yumi decided to walk away.

Once out on the porch again, she set the plate she had been holding down on a small table there and sat down in a chair. The wheels of her mind started turning furiously. What was all that about? Were they talking about her? They had to be… It didn't make sense. Or did it? What were they talking about? Atobe helping Tezuka? Opportunity? Say something to her? Say what?

----------

Suzume cast a concerned gaze at Yumi, who had just walked up to them. "Are you all right? Did you find Tezuka?"

Yumi shook her head. She didn't feel like sharing her thoughts on what she had just overheard. They weren't pleasant thoughts at all.

Even Kaede gave her a worried look. "You look a bit pale, Yumi-san. Are you sure you're okay?"

"You don't look all right, Yu," said Suzume. "Like Kaede says, you look pale – and you're fair to begin with. Something has to be wrong for so much colour to drain from your face."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Perhaps I'm a little more tired than I thought."

Suzume didn't believe a word of it. Something had happened in the time Yumi went to look for Tezuka, but she couldn't imagine what. That wasn't all, either. Yumi didn't just look pale. Her expression was neutral, but there was a cold and stormy look in her eyes that Suzume couldn't recall having seen before ever since they'd met at university. She had a feeling Yumi was angry about something. Angry and… Some other unreadable emotion. Whatever it was, it disturbed her. That Yumi wouldn't say anything about it all was troubling too.

"Maybe you should go home then," said Kaede. "If you're that tired, it's best to go home and rest."

"Yes, I think so too," agreed Suzume. Maybe whatever was on Yumi's mind would be relieved when she went home – away from the mysterious cause of the unfamiliar cold in her dark eyes.

"No," said Yumi, firmly. "I'll be all right. I'll just go get myself a drink."

The half-minute it took her to get her drink and return to Suzume and Kaede was apparently enough time for her to calm and/or hide her emotions because she came back looking perfectly normal. There was even a small smile on her face.

Suzume tried asking her again about what had happened, but Yumi brushed her questions aside and turned the topic to something else. She took the hint and didn't ask anymore, although she still wondered a about it.

When Tezuka joined them some time later, Suzume demanded to know where he had been. He apologised, saying Atobe had taken him on a tour of the house.

She rolled her eyes. "That guy… Showing off again."

Tezuka noticed that after he had answered Suzume's question, there was a flash of something like coldness in Yumi's eyes, and he wondered at it. But the coldness vanished as fast as it had appeared, replaced by a blank sort of look. She seemed to have lost the cheerful mood she had earlier, although she was still smiling. It puzzled him.

----------

The journey home from Atobe's garden party was a rather quiet one. That in itself wasn't unusual – Tezuka and Yumi were close enough to have comfortable silences from time to time – but Tezuka couldn't help feeling that there was something different this time. Her manner was bordering on icy, quite unlike her usual warmth. If he hadn't known her for as long as he did, he might have thought that she was just being aloof. But years and years of friendship had taught him the difference between Hanazawa Yumi being aloof and being cold. The one sitting beside him in the car at that point was the cold one.

Despite his natural inclination to _not_ ask, he finally ventured, "Is something wrong?"

"Not really," she said, continuing to stare out the window.

Minutes of silence passed. Tezuka grew uncomfortable with it. Yumi got angry and frustrated with people fairly often, but she rarely ever carried over her fury to the times she was with him. She might be with him and complain and rant about the culprits, but she was hardly cold around him. Usually, she would let out all her frustrations and talk about it with him. He realised suddenly that he missed the warm manner she normally had with him. Even if she was quiet, she 'radiated' warmth around her close friends. Her silence and the chill emanating from her at that moment were totally unfamiliar and they unsettled him.

"Did you enjoy the party?" he asked, just to break the silence.

"It wasn't too bad," she replied.

She didn't seem inclined to go on, and Tezuka racked his brain for a way to continue the conversation.

"Takahashi seems close to Atobe's cousin."

"Quite. They've been friends since they were kids. And they attended the same elementary school."

"I see."

Silence again.

It was not going well. Tezuka started to get the feeling that _he_ was the one she was angry at, but he couldn't think of anything that he had done wrong. Or was she angry because he had gone off for so long without telling her? Maybe that was it. He knew Yumi was the type that felt ignored rather easily. That had to be it. It was all Atobe's fault… Why did he have to drag him away to discuss that stupid issue? And what made Atobe think that he needed help in the first place? Tezuka hated how Atobe presumed he was just going to muddle around all his life, not doing anything about it. He would – just that he didn't feel it was time yet.

When he dropped her off at her home, Tezuka felt relieved. It had been a terribly disconcerting car ride for him, not knowing what to do or what to say or what exactly was wrong (even though he had a vague idea of that one). He was both sorry and relieved to see her go, though. In spite of the uncomfortable silence at the end, he _had_ rather enjoyed himself during the earlier part. He sighed and hoped she would be in a better mood when he next saw her.

----------

Yumi shut her bedroom door and locked it. She didn't feel like she wanted any interruptions from her sister or parents at that moment. Then she sank to the floor, buried her face in her hands and wept.

* * *

* * *

_Chapter 3 _coming in a couple of days - if I'm done reformatting it. (The whole double-spacing-between-paragraphs thing is a bit tedious... hahah) So don't judge my OCs too quick. ;) eheh

* * *

Oh yes, and muchos gracias to those of you who've reviewed chapter 1! I was a little unsure as to how it'd be received, seeing that OC fics are relatively uncommon here. So thank you!  



	3. Chapter 3

**DOUBLE STORY **

Sorry for the wait! It took me longer than expected to finish reformatting this.  
(And I apologise to Atobe fans in advance, in case you end up hating me or something.)

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Fuji looked at Yumi with alarm. She looked very tired, as though she hadn't slept much or slept well at all. The rings around her eyes attested to that.

"Yumi! Are you okay? Did something happen?" he said, jumping up and pulling out the chair for her.

"I'm okay. Sort of. Thanks, and so sorry to call you on such short notice."

"It's all right. _I'm_ sorry my assignment didn't end a week earlier, if you're looking like this now. What's wrong? Tell me."

"Shouldn't we order first?"

He grinned. "I took the liberty of ordering your favourite ice-cream for you before you came."

"Aw… That's so nice of you."

"No problem. I'm glad I did anyhow. This way we can talk more. And you look like you really need to talk."

Yumi sighed and closed her eyes. "It's a rather long story."

"And we have all day to talk. It's Saturday, after all."

She told him what she'd overheard the week before at Atobe's garden party. When she finished her story, Fuji wisely kept silent. Yumi took a spoonful of ice-cream and then continued, saying, "I don't know… I'm just… Just… Argh. I don't know."

"Furious with Atobe?" he suggested.

"Oh, I am indeed. But… I'm also – sad, I guess."

Fuji looked at her questioningly. She dug her spoon listlessly into the ice-cream that had been served a short while before and ate another spoonful.

"Whatever hope I had that there was a possibility Tezuka cared for me… It's gone now."

Given the words she had heard, Fuji could understand her thoughts. But he still felt that Tezuka _did_ care and she had misunderstood it. He had no proof, of course. Tezuka had always been rather tight-lipped about his feelings, especially when it came to Yumi. Maybe Oishi knew for certain, but Fuji certainly didn't.

"You don't know for sure that's what he meant, Yu," said Fuji, trying to reassure her.

"Perhaps. But how many reasons can there be for something like 'You presume too much of my intentions'?" She pushed the ice-cream cup aside and leaned back in her chair, hand over her eyes. It was some moments before she spoke again. "You know, angry though I am at that idiot Atobe (_now_ I think I know why Suzume calls him that)…"

Fuji had to chuckle. Idiot? That was a new one. He had never heard anyone call Atobe an idiot before.

"… I think I'm actually more disappointed." Yumi sat straight again and rested her head in one hand, staring at the table top. "Disappointed. Yea, I think that's the right word."

She fell silent again. Fuji waited a bit, then prompted her to continue. "Disappointed…? In Tezuka?"

"A bit. No, not really. I think… Maybe I'm disappointed that my hopes came to nothing. That he doesn't seem to care that way. Disappointed and annoyed at myself too, for being so _stupid_." She let out a bitter laugh. "I _am_ stupid, aren't I? Wishing and hoping like that. Probably I'm also stupid for being so upset over it. I should have known…"

"Yu," began Fuji, but then he stopped. A tear was running down her cheek. He didn't know what to say and decided that saying nothing was best.

Yumi blinked hard, trying to keep back anymore traitorous tears. "But, you know, Syuusuke… It hurts to be disappointed. It hurts - so much." Her voice trembled slightly at the last two words.

Fuji could only watch her, pained that his friend was hurting. She was certainly _very_ angry with Atobe – the tone with which she referred to him indicated as much – but at the same time, she was heartbroken. He wished he could assure her that it wasn't as she thought, that Tezuka _did_ care, but he knew he couldn't give her proof of it. It would just be a gut feeling. And that would not be enough at this time. It made him highly annoyed with Atobe for interfering, and also regretful that Tezuka had not actually spoken up so far. He had known her for about ten years now. How long did he need to decide that he cared for her?

Yumi dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "This is silly. I shouldn't be crying…" She hated it when she lost control of herself like that.

It took Fuji all of three seconds to move his chair closer to hers and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay," he said, softly. "It's not silly. Don't worry about it." He ruffled her hair slightly.

"Don't do that," she chided, jokingly. "It's as if I'm a little kid. I'm older than you are, you know."

"Only by a few weeks," countered Fuji.

She shut her eyes once more and leaned on him. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Anytime," he said. Then he ruffled her hair again. Yumi half-smiled in spite of herself.

----------

After seeing Yumi safely off to the station, Fuji took out his hand phone and dialled a number. She had told him expressly _not_ to do anything to Atobe. "I'll handle Atobe myself. Don't you try anything," she had said, and he had agreed (albeit reluctantly).

_But she didn't say anything about Tezuka_, he thought, smiling to himself. Maybe it was time he gave Tezuka a little push. That could wait a bit, though. First, perhaps a little more cheer and distraction for Yumi wouldn't hurt. He raised his phone to his ear and listened for the dial tone.

----------

Suzume watched Yumi at work. She certainly looked better after she had that talk with Fuji two weeks before. After Atobe's garden party, she had been quieter than usual in the studio, and occasionally Suzume caught a strange, sad sort of expression on her face. She had refused to talk about it too, always thanking Suzume for her concern, and then saying she just didn't want to discuss it.

"Yu, Keigo's invited us for lunch. Do you want to go?"

Yumi looked up from her desk, a coloured marker in hand. "Today? What day is it today?"

"Mm…" Suzume checked the calendar on her table. "Friday."

"Oh, then I can't. Fuji's taking me to lunch today. Sorry."

"Ah," said Suzume. "It's all right. I'll go with him myself."

Yumi felt slightly relieved. She was not any happier with Atobe than she had been three weeks ago, and had little desire to see him still. She would much rather see Fuji. A glance at the clock told her there was about forty-five minutes before she was due to go and meet him.

_I should probably leave soon…_

The telephone rang, the blinking light indicating a call from the secretary's desk. She pressed the speakerphone mode button.

"Yes?"

"Hanazawa-san, there's someone here to see you. A Fuji-san."

"Oh?" _Wasn't I supposed to meet him at the restaurant?_ "Send him in."

Yumi got up to open the door. Suzume looked up from her work. She had met the photographer a few times, and liked him. He had a pleasant, open attitude that was appealing.

But before Yumi reached the door, there was a crisp tap on it and then it swung open. Instead of Fuji, there stood someone else. Yumi gasped audibly.

"Yo." Saeki grinned, leaning on the door jamb. "Yu-chan, long time no see."

Yumi let out something like a half-shriek that Suzume had never heard from her before, and exclaimed, "Sae!!" For once, the usually dignified Hanazawa Yumi dropped her stateliness and all but threw herself at the tall man, who caught her in his arms and spun her round, to the amusement and curiosity of some of their staff.

"You've gotten a bit lighter," he remarked, putting her down. "Did you finally decide to lose weight?"

She poked him in the side and made a face. Saeki winced slightly, but laughed.

"Saeki Kojirou! When did you come?" asked Yumi. "Why are you here anyway? Where are you staying? How –"

"Whoa… Slow down. I just arrived this morning. Will be staying at Fuji's." He jerked a thumb in the direction of Fuji, who had been standing behind him.

"Is this your doing, Syuusuke?" said Yumi.

Fuji laughed.

"In a way, it _is_ his doing," said Saeki, draping an arm over Fuji. "This guy here told me he has a friend who wants his son to have private tennis lessons before the district tournament, and he's recommended me for the job."

"Really? But isn't it troublesome for you?"

"Aaah. It's only a short-term thing." Saeki waved his hand airily. "Just weekends for about a month or so. I'm going to meet this person later and see if we can agree on the fee. It'd be a good change to do a bit of travelling. And it'd be good to see both of you more often too."

"That'd be great! But" – Yumi turned to the other man – "what have you done this time, Syuu? You're behind this, I know."

"I just thought you might like to see Sae again. And I really _do_ have a friend who wants his son to have private lessons," protested Fuji. _That is, **after** I talked him into thinking that the lessons were really necessary_, he added silently.

Yumi didn't look like she believed him entirely, but then Fuji hadn't expected her to. They knew each other well enough to at least suspect when one or the other was involved in something sneaky. But his plan had worked, so he was satisfied. She wouldn't kill him for this, anyway.

Suzume watched them, a smile on her face. Yumi's transformation at the sight of her old friend was amazing. Before the door opened, she was normal – neither happy nor sad – but the minute she saw him, it was as if a light had been turned on inside her.

Looking at the newcomer, Suzume thought, _So this is Saeki Kojirou_. She had heard a lot about him from Yumi, and had seen some photographs, but had never seen him in person. In a way he looked like Fuji. Both were tall (Yumi often said Fuji had once been short – Suzume found that a bit hard to believe), brown-haired and blue-eyed. But even from photographs, the differences were evident. Now, seeing them in person, the differences were even more obvious, although at a quick glance they did look alike.

Fuji was thinner, had softer features and his eyes were more of a sky-blue colour. Saeki, on the other hand, was lean but more sturdily-built, had sharper, more defined features, and eyes that were almost electric blue. Suzume remembered Yumi saying that at one time Saeki had his hair dyed white and black and had actually managed to not look stupid. Seeing him now, she figured he certainly was the type who could carry the look pretty well.

Yumi had pulled both of them into the studio and shut the door. She introduced Saeki to Suzume.

"Takahashi-san, nice to meet you," Saeki said, shaking her hand. "I've heard a good deal about you."

"And I've heard many, many things about _you_," she said in return, privately observing that up close he seemed twice as attractive as Fuji Syuusuke, and at the same time wondering why she seemed to be imagining a different set of blue eyes instead of the startling pair in front of her.

"Do you want to join us for lunch?" asked Yumi, who was evidently in a shining mood now, and seemed to have forgotten that Suzume already had another arrangement.

Suzume thanked her, but declined, reminding her of her prior plans. Besides, she didn't want to interrupt the little reunion. She knew Yumi hadn't seen Saeki in a year and had missed her friend quite badly – the way she had reacted to seeing him confirmed that. Yumi wouldn't have disliked having her at lunch, she knew, but she didn't want to disturb the three of them anyway. She shooed them out of the studio, telling them to go and enjoy their lunch.

Catching hold of Fuji before he walked off, she said, "Have a long lunch. Tell Yu it's okay. We're not rushing anything today anyway."

Fuji looked at her and his gentle smile grew. "Thanks."

Suzume waved him off and set about getting ready for her own lunch appointment. Their secretary came in holding some letters for her and asked, "Was that Yumi-san's boyfriend?"

"What?"

"That man she called Saeki. Was he her boyfriend?"

"No, no," said Suzume, laughing. "He's just an old friend."

"Oh."

She looked at the secretary's face and laughed even more. "I swear, Miyu, you look like you've just lost the gossip item of the month."

"Well, it _would_ have been interesting," said Miyu. "Most of us thought Tezuka-san was the one, but then we've never seen Yumi-san behave like that with him before."

"As far as I know they're just old friends. Fuji and Saeki are some of her best friends, in fact. So it makes sense to me that she was like that." But Suzume thought Miyu did have a point. Yumi seemed much more open with Fuji and Saeki. And speaking of Tezuka… She hadn't seen him for a while. She couldn't recall Yumi talking much about him either in recent days.

----------

Atobe was seated in a comfortable chair, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table. He had already been there ten minutes, and felt his patience waning. Sometimes he wondered why and how he had fallen for this aggravating woman called Takahashi Suzume. But at least he admitted it and actually tried to do something about it. Unlike that Tezuka. He just didn't see what was holding the man back.

He was contemplating calling her again when she finally showed up.

"You're late," he said.

She apologised and explained. "I had to finish up some stuff and deal with a couple of last-minute phone calls."

He frowned. "Couldn't you have left it to Hanazawa? If she's not here, I'm assuming she's back at the office."

"She does have her own friends, you know. Fuji came to take her for lunch with Saeki-san."

"Saeki?" The name was familiar, but he couldn't put a face to the name. "From Chiba?"

"Yea, I think so. You should know him too, shouldn't you? I think he was some big shot in the tennis scene too."

"Hmph. Hardly," sniffed Atobe. "I'd remember him more easily if he was."

"You only remember people _you_ think important. Yumi says his school was pretty highly-ranked at one point."

"There were many better than his school." Atobe leaned back even further into his chair. It was really very nice to sit in.

"Whatever." Suzume shrugged and picked up the menu on the table. "He's quite handsome, though."

Atobe's head jerked upright. "Who?"

She glanced up from her menu and gave him a funny look. "Saeki Kojirou, of course. Were we talking about anyone else?"

Atobe's mind started to filter through memories at top speed, trying to recall exactly what this Saeki fellow looked like.

Suzume didn't seem to notice Atobe gazing hard at her, and just went on talking as she read the menu. "Saeki has a nice smile. If we designed a men's line of clothes, I'd tell Yumi to hire him as a model in a heartbeat. Hm… I think I'll have the salmon."

Across the table, Atobe fought hard to keep his jealousy down. He failed somewhat, because when Suzume looked up at him again, she asked, "What's wrong with you? You look like you're choking or something."

He said nothing for once. He couldn't find (decent) words to say. It annoyed him to no end to hear Suzume complimenting some other guy, especially someone like this half-rate Saeki whom he could barely remember at the moment.

If Suzume saw the barely-controlled emotions flickering across his face, she didn't show it. She merely squinted a little at him for about a second, then looked thoughtful.

"What?" he managed to snap.

"Saeki's good-looking, but I think I like your eyes better, frankly."

The green-eyed monster on his shoulder shrank by half.

"His eyes are _really _striking, but maybe a bit too intense. Might be scary to have those piercing eyes looking at you all the time," Suzume said, looking as though she was comparing mental images of both of them in her head. "They're beautiful eyes –"

The green-eyed monster started to grow again.

"– but I have to say, I think your eyes are nicer. They're not such a striking blue."

Atobe finally found his voice. "But of course. It's me, after all."

She cast a withering look at him. "Don't be so big-headed. I only said your _eyes_ are nicer. I didn't say you're better-looking on the whole. Get over yourself, Keigo. Now hurry up and order your food. Don't keep the poor man waiting all day," she said, pointing to the waiter, who was standing there patiently, notebook in hand. Atobe fixed his eyes on the menu, though obviously not really concentrating on it.

----------

"Yup. See you tomorrow at two then," Saeki said. "What, us – late? You're the girl. I should be telling _you_ that." He laughed at her reaction over the phone and said goodbye.

After he put down the phone, he looked at Fuji. "So?"

"Did the Cheer-Up-Hanazawa-Yumi plan succeed?"

"So far, yes, I believe so," said Fuji. "What do you think?"

Saeki reflected on it. "I think… That she needs more cheering up still. It really got to her, what Tezuka said…"

Fuji nodded in agreement and said, "It's not really too much trouble for you, is it?"

"Not at all." Saeki shook his head and smiled wryly. "You _know_ I'd do just about anything for the _hime_."

"Likewise, Sae. Likewise."

----------

Tezuka tapped a pen on the table. His eyes travelled from the phone to the clock to the papers in front of him to his computer, then back to the phone. Should he call her? It had been some weeks since he had heard from Yumi, and it was starting to really bother him. She had only called him once after Atobe's garden party, and that was to thank him (again) for going with her. Two weeks passed after it without a word from her, but he put it down to work and didn't think much about it. However, it had been nearly a month now. They had chatted online a little, but it hardly amounted to any sort of conversation. He couldn't recall such lack of communication from her since she graduated from university.

He gave up thinking and picked up the phone. It was useless to try doing any work when he was so preoccupied with that. If he tried doing any work now without at least attempting to resolve that, he might turn in articles with more errors than before they came to him.

"Hello?" came a familiar voice over the phone. But it wasn't Yumi.

"Takahashi-san?"

"This is Takahashi." She seemed to suddenly recognise his voice. "Tezuka? Is that you? It's been a while!"

"It has," he agreed. "Is Yumi-san in?"

"Yumi? Oh, er… She's out with Fuji and Saeki-san today, I'm afraid. They just left for lunch."

"I see." He hoped he didn't sound disappointed. "When would she be back?"

"Around two, I think. We've a photo shoot at 2.30, so I think she'll definitely be back by two."

"All right. Would you let her know I called?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." He was about to end the conversation, when he thought of something. "Takahashi-san, wait."

"Yes?"

"Er…" How was he going to phrase this? There was only the straightforward way he could think of, so he just went with it. "Has she been all right? Yumi, I mean."

Suzume fell silent on the other end for a few seconds. "Well… She _was_ acting rather strangely for a while. Looked like she was upset about something, but she wouldn't tell me about it. It bugged me horribly. There was one day she came in looking like a ghost, almost. I really don't know what happened. She just refused to talk about it."

Tezuka grew troubled by Suzume's description. What _had_ happened?

"But she got better after talking to Fuji," said Suzume. "And when Saeki showed up, I think that completed the cure. She's been a great deal more cheerful ever since. Lost the haunted, depressed look too."

"That's a relief," he said. "When did Saeki come?"

"About two weeks ago, maybe. He's been coming up on weekends. She said he got a temporary coaching job here – giving private lessons to the son of one of Fuji's friends or something."

"Oh."

"It's been really good for her, though. They've done a magnificent job of cheering her up and hauling her out of that depressed state she was in. I still have no idea what upset her so badly, but Fuji and Saeki seem to know. Do you know what might have happened?" she asked, curious.

He admitted that he didn't know (and felt rather foolish saying so).

"You don't know either?" Suzume sounded astonished.

"She hasn't said anything about it to me," he said. "Perhaps I'll ask Fuji if I see him Thank you, Takahashi-san."

After hanging up, he thought about what she had told him. It looked as though Fuji and Saeki were the only ones who knew what was going on. If Yumi hadn't even told Suzume, and hardly seemed keen on talking to him lately, there was little chance she would tell him if he asked. He would have to ask Fuji.

----------

Fuji had been somewhat surprised by Tezuka's invitation to dinner. But he had a feeling it would have something to do with Yumi, and he soon found he was right. Unlike Yumi, Saeki and himself, Tezuka was not the type to be subtle. After the pre-emptory exchanges, Tezuka had put the question to him quite frankly: What had happened to Yumi?

It had taken Fuji a few moments to contemplate how and what to tell him. Obviously he could not tell him exactly what had happened. There were several possible repercussions if he did, and he liked almost none of them. The only good possibility was that Tezuka might be spurred into action, convinced he had unwittingly broken her heart. The other possibilities Fuji could think of all ended with Tezuka making things worse by backing off, getting angry, or getting so worked up about it himself that he wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. Tezuka had to think things through on his own. Fuji wasn't going to tell him directly what Yumi felt either. Let the man figure it out himself!

"I can't tell you much," he said at last. "Let's just say she found out something that really hurt her and it was hard for her to get over it."

"I see," said Tezuka. "Is that why you brought Saeki to Tokyo?"

"Mostly, yes. She needed more cheer and comfort than I could give her alone."

"Why didn't she tell Takahashi?"

"I think she just felt this was something she couldn't really talk to Takahashi about. It might have been better for her if Emiko was around as well, but she's in Canada now."

Tezuka nodded slowly. Aida Emiko had been Yumi's best friend since elementary school, and if there was anyone closer to Yumi than Fuji and Saeki, it was Emiko. But Emiko was away at the moment, and nothing could be done about that. It was likely that Yumi had told her anyway – through e-mail or something – but he knew that for Yumi, nothing beat actual companionship when she was upset.

"How is she now? Takahashi told me that she's much better these days."

"I should hope she is," said Fuji. "She looks happier, at least. Sae's been doing a marvellous job of helping keep her spirits up – he's always been good at making her laugh."

Fuji couldn't have chosen his words better. He caught a flicker of _something_ in Tezuka's face. He allowed himself a small, sly smile. Bingo.

Later, on the phone with Saeki, Fuji told him of what had transpired between him and Tezuka. Saeki laughed. "I wonder if I should be pleased that I make such good 'bait.'"

"You should be pleased you managed to make Yumi a bit happier. The 'bait' thing is secondary. Tezuka merely just gave me a convenient opportunity to make use of the situation. And besides, this whole thing was partly your own idea, remember?"

"With you, Fuji, it's always 'opportunities' and 'chances' and 'coincidences,'" said Saeki, ignoring his last sentence. "You probably planned this from the moment you told me about Yumi."

"I learnt it from you, Sae."

"Actually, I think you had it in you all along, but if you insist that you learnt it from me, then this is a case of the pupil surpassing the teacher. Come to think of it, any idea what Yu has up her sleeve?"

"Yu?"

"Yeah. I have a feeling she's going to do something to Atobe... I just don't know what. But I hope I'm there when she does it."

"Honestly, I've no idea either. But whatever hidden card it is she's going to play, it's probably a good one. After all, she's had two magnificent examples in us all this while."

Fuji could practically see Saeki's grin on the other end of the line.

----------

Yumi was not pleased. Not pleased at all. How she had ended up spending her lunch break with Suzume, Tezuka _and_ Atobe, she didn't know. She had invited Tezuka, yes. But that was because she had finally decided that she had gotten over her complicated emotions and would be able to see and talk to him normally again. Atobe she had most certainly _not_ invited. He seemed to have a habit of inviting himself to wherever Suzume was. Why did Suzume tell him where they were anyway?

She sipped at her drink, feeling quite annoyed. It had been a tiring morning for her, since she had to wake up for an early photo shoot that was to last the whole day. Spending her lunch break tolerating Atobe Keigo had not been high on her priority list at all. There were some things she just hated and one of them was annoying people who tried to interfere with her life.

Keeping half an ear on the conversation at the table, and eyes on the window, she let her mind wander to various other things. Perhaps if she didn't think so much about it, she could forget he was even there.

"… I disagree," Suzume said. "The share looks good now, but given its records, it's likely to drop again soon."

"I'll trust what…"

Two teenage girls in school uniform passed by, giggling over a magazine. Yumi half-smiled, remembering her own relatively carefree schooldays.

"You're… Don't think… expert."

"… didn't say anything like that."

"Hmph. Tezuka, what do you say?"

"I think…"

Yumi's hand phone beeped, signalling the arrival of a text message. She took out her phone, read it, smiled and typed out a reply.

Tezuka glanced at her, wondering at her quietude and if it had anything to do with Atobe. She had sounded all right when she had called him to invite him to lunch, but when he had arrived, she looked positively frigid as Atobe sauntered up to the table at the same time.

Yumi replaced her hand phone in her bag and resumed people-watching at the window. A group of small children – evidently from the same day care centre – walked by the café with their teacher, singing some song Yumi didn't recognise. _Cute hats_, she thought, observing the bright yellow and white hats the children wore.

"… silly."

"What?"

"No-thing..."

"Shut up… Why –"

"… doubt that you…"

A well-dressed couple walked by, the woman holding a Shih Tzu puppy in her arms. The dog reminded Yumi of one her neighbour had.

"Oh! What a cute puppy!" exclaimed Suzume.

Atobe said something about his German Shepherd dogs being much better, but no one paid any real attention to him.

"I've always wanted to have a dog like that," Suzume said. "But okaa-san didn't like dogs." She sighed. "Pity."

"I don't really like dogs either," said Yumi, deciding to return to the conversation, since it had moved away from stocks and shares. She didn't want to appear too antisocial, even though it would be harder to forget Atobe's existence when he was right across the table from her. But perhaps Suzume would trigger some amusing reactions from him. After realising just how angry she was at him, all of a sudden Suzume's sarcastic and nonchalant jabs at him seemed doubly interesting to Yumi.

"You like dogs, Tezuka?" asked Suzume.

"I don't mind them," was all he said.

The couple with the dog turned the corner and disappeared from sight. Yumi said, "I've always wondered how people could stand their dogs licking them all the time." She shuddered involuntarily. "It's like… Aren't they afraid the dogs will bite them instead?"

"If your dogs are well-trained, and if they know you already, they won't bite," said Atobe.

"Trust me. I've had dogs all my life."

"Perhaps," Yumi said, her voice slightly icy. She looked to Suzume and Tezuka. "My sister got bitten by our neighbour's dog once, though. She wasn't even a stranger to it – she used to play with it a lot when they first got the dog. Then for some reason – maybe it was cranky or something; I don't know – it nipped her on the ankle a few weeks ago when we were watching it over the weekend for them. My sister says the dog was moody or something, but in any case, she had to go get a tetanus shot. We figured it was safer, even though it wasn't a deep bite or anything."

"Ouch," murmured Suzume. "A bite and _then_ an injection. Couldn't have been fun for her."

"It wasn't at all fun," said Yumi. "She came back from the doctor's and insisted on telling me about it. I could almost feel the needle piercing my arm when she described it…" She rubbed her shoulder and grimaced. "And the spot hurt for two days after the jab. I think my sister would make a good storyteller. The way she described the injection… Er, Atobe-san, are you all right?"

Suzume and Tezuka turned to look at him. Atobe was slightly pale in the face and his posture was stiffer than before. He glanced away and said brusquely, "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," said Suzume, frowning a little. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine!"

"All right, all right. No need to snap at me like that. Geez… One would think you were scared or something, the way you're acting."

"I'm not!" he said, a little too quickly.

Suzume blinked and stared at him for a few seconds. A surprised look spread slowly over her face. "Keigo… Are you actually afraid? Of needles?"

If there had been any doubt before that Atobe was looking pale, there was none now. He blanched, though more out of mortification at being found out rather than out of fear. He knew he couldn't deny it. She knew him too well to believe any denial he tried now.

"I…"

"You _are_!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

As Atobe tried his best to worm himself out of the unpleasant situation, Tezuka looked at Yumi. She was watching Atobe and Suzume, her face mildly surprised and amused. A vague, suspicious feeling prickled at the back of Tezuka's mind. Was this unexpected revelation completely accidental?

"I've known you for twenty years already and you never told me?" Suzume said, rather as though she was admonishing Atobe for keeping the secret. "Why? And _how_ have you managed to take _any_ sort of jabs until now then, if you're that afraid of it?"

Atobe wondered miserably if she was angrier at him for not telling her – although he didn't see why she should be angry – or if she was more shocked that he actually had a phobia of something. Damn, damn, _damn_. Why in the world did such a topic have to come up when Suzume was around? She was the last person in the world he wanted to know it. To make things worse, even _Tezuka _knew now! And that was definitely another one he had not wanted finding out about this. He was glad when Suzume's barrage of questions was interrupted by the ringing of a phone.

"It's mine," said Yumi, turning to rummage in her handbag for her hand phone.

"I hope that's not Takami calling to say something's wrong with the setup for this afternoon's shoot," groaned Suzume. "That man is such a harbinger of gloom sometimes, though he _is_ capable."

Yumi found her phone, smiled broadly upon seeing the caller ID and flipped the phone open.

"Hey! Where are you?"

"About two paces away from you."

Yumi turned in her chair and saw Saeki approaching the table, grinning at her with his phone held to his ear. She shut her phone and gave him a "you-sneaky-guy" look.

"Saeki-san!" said Suzume, forgetting about Atobe's newly-uncovered phobia in the surprise of seeing Yumi's merry friend from Chiba. "Are you joining us?"

"If I may," he said.

"Of course you may." Suzume looked around and motioned to the empty table next to them.

"Grab a chair."

Yumi moved her chair closer to Tezuka's, clearing a space between herself and Suzume for Saeki. He pulled up a chair, but before he sat down, he extended a hand to Tezuka and said,

"Tezuka, nice to see you again. It's been quite some time, eh?"

Tezuka shook his hand. "Yes, it has. How are you?"

"Doin' all right, thanks." He then turned to the other man at the table. "Ah. Atobe-san, I presume?"

"Keigo, this is Saeki-san, the friend of Yumi's that I mentioned," said Suzume, seeing that he was inclined to be rather ungracious and gave him a small kick under the table with the heel of her shoe to emphasize her hint. Atobe showed no outward sign of having felt the kick, but stiffly took Saeki's outstretched hand and shook it without a word.

Yumi watched Atobe and smirked inwardly. Letting Saeki sit between herself and Suzume had been a good move. She knew Atobe was partial to Suzume – he showed it, and Suzume knew it; she had often bemoaned the fact that he couldn't take a hint. Now it seemed quite obvious to her that Atobe was none too fond of Saeki, or rather, that he was not happy with the way Suzume chatted so gaily with him.

_Sorry, Sae, I'm making use of your looks for a bit_.

She knew he wouldn't be angry, but she'd make it up to him later all the same. He would probably be thoroughly amused at being part of the whole joke anyway, knowing him.

Although very much aware of the annoyance she had just caused to Atobe when Saeki arrived, Yumi had no idea of the confused and unfamiliar feelings in the man seated on her left. Tezuka tried to stay impassive, but he soon discovered an odd uneasiness in seeing Yumi being so friendly with Saeki. It was ridiculous. They _were_ old friends, and as far as he could remember, she had always been that way with Fuji and Saeki. So why was he feeling weird now?

Saeki had to laugh when Suzume asked him why he didn't become a model instead of a tennis coach. "Me, model?" he said.

"Well you have the looks for it," she said in a most matter-of-fact way.

"Don't give him a big head, Suzu," warned Yumi, half-joking.

"But it's true. He _does_ have the looks – and he definitely looks better than that model we saw in the June spread for… That brand, I forgot the name. Anyway…"

Atobe sat fuming in silence. Didn't this Saeki have silver hair or something back in school? He didn't recall a brown-haired Saeki from Rokkaku. And who was he to barge into their lunch like that? The nerve of him…

Saeki couldn't shake the sense of hostility coming from Atobe Keigo. He remembered Atobe's reputation as something of a snob and his supreme self-confidence, but that didn't explain the hostility. If it had been Tezuka giving off those hostile vibes, he would have understood, given what Fuji had hinted to him. But Tezuka seemed normal, only looking dimly perplexed, as if thinking about something he didn't quite understand. It all seemed so strange. He would just have to ask Yumi about it later.

----------

"You did _what_?!"

Yumi merely smiled at them, a very satisfied look on her face. Saeki gaped at her a moment longer, then burst out laughing, along with Fuji.

"I can't believe you did that!" he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "So you knew he was afraid of shots?"

"Mmm. Yeah."

"How did you find out?" asked Fuji. "Inui?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Then how?"

"Got it out of Oshitari-san," she replied.

"I didn't know you were close to Oshitari," said Fuji.

"Not really, no. But I get along pretty well with Nishikado Sayuri – she's Ohtori Choutarou's girlfriend. She knows Yamada-kun too. Anyway, she asked me to join them for bowling one day – herself, Ohtori-kun, Shishido and Rika and Oshitari. I agreed just because… Well, I think I was trying to forget depressing things."

Fuji and Saeki exchanged looks. So she still hadn't gotten over it entirely.

"So I went with them, and it was fun, really… We had dinner after it and started chatting. Somehow we got to talking about phobias, and he mentioned it."

"'_Somehow_ you got to talking about phobias'?" Saeki said, chuckling. "My dear, you're as bad as Fuji here, trying to make it seem innocuous. You manipulated the conversation to find out, didn't you? Just as you managed to twist it at lunch to unveil Atobe's little secret."

"What makes you say that?" she asked innocently.

"That gleam in your eyes, that's what," he said.

Fuji added, "Also, we _know_ how good you can be at turning conversations to your own end. It's your specialty. Don't you think we know it by now?"

She shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips all the while. "Oh, by the way, Sae… I've a confession."

He looked at her questioningly.

"At lunch that day… I asked you to come on purpose."

"Huh?"

"Atobe is – well, he's rather attached to Suzume."

For a few moments, Saeki just blinked at her, trying to understand. And then it dawned on him. "Was _that_ why he kept giving me those dark, 'go away' looks the whole time?"

"Probably." Yumi was grinning now.

Saeki smacked his forehead. "I couldn't imagine why he kept looking at me like that! And Suzume-san kept going on and on about how I should be a model too! No wonder he was mad." He fell to laughing again at the memory of it.

"Anyone care to fill me in on the joke?" said Fuji.

"My friend, our queen of conversation control has accomplished something worthy of your own twisted mind. In the span of less than two hours, she managed to humiliate Atobe Keigo by making him reveal his secret fear in front of the woman he's in love with and also in front of one of his oldest tennis rivals; _and_ _then_ she went on to hugely irritate this same person by forcing him to listen to his would-be girlfriend praise another guy for most of the remaining time. And I thought she was just being nice, asking me to join them for lunch. Isn't she marvellous? I'm so proud."

Fuji gave her an approving look. "Splendidly done, Yu. Your scheming has improved." He applauded her. "So all satisfied now that you've 'avenged' yourself?"

"Hmm…" She looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"What? You're not done with him yet?" exclaimed Saeki. "I thought it was pretty severe already, all things considered."

"I'm kidding," laughed Yumi. "I'm done – for now."

"I'm sure Atobe would find that answer so reassuring," Saeki said.

* * *

If you hate the way I've portrayed Atobe in this chapter, well… Sorry. But this is just a _fanfic_ after all. Let me have my fun. Heheh... 


	4. Chapter 4

**DOUBLE STORY**

... And here's chapter 4. A rather Atobe-centric chapter - despite my efforts, hahah - but I could never forget Tezuka, so it's still _fairly _balanced between the two I think, even if it does lean towards the one I like less. heh

In case you're wondering, there are about 7 more chapters ahead (unless I change my mind); four of which are more or less done, one in progress and two more exist only in my brain.

* * *

**  
Chapter 4**

Suzume knocked on the door of his study, but got no answer. She knocked again, louder this time. Still no answer.

"Atobe Keigo! Stop sulking and open the door this instant!"

Silence.

She tried the door. It would not open. Rolling her eyes, she took out a key from her pocket and unlocked the door. Atobe was sitting in a high-backed chair, apparently watching the news on television. When she entered, he jumped, startled.

"How did you get in?" he demanded.

"Your mother gave me the extra key. She said you've been sulking far too much these days for a grown man and asked me to do her a favour and get you out of the slumps. She figured you might have locked the door today, so she gave me the key in case. Really… Are you four or twenty-four?"

He said nothing, but looked sullen and turned back to the television. She sat down on the chair next to his.

"What's with you, Keigo? Is this about lunch the other day?"

When he gave no answer, she tried again. "Have you gone deaf? I asked you a question."

"I don't need to answer every single one of your questions. Also, you asked me two questions, not one."

"You're being ridiculous," she said. "It's not that big a deal to have a slight phobia. It's like how so many people are scared of going to the dentist. It's normal. It doesn't make you any less a person. Your friends are still your friends. If we stopped liking you just because you're afraid of something then we wouldn't be good friends at all. Don't be such a child. It's absurd to behave like this."

Atobe's eyes stayed glued to the television screen.

"Oh, come on. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Look – _I_ found out and it doesn't change anything for me. I'm still your friend."

Something in Atobe snapped at the last four words. He turned suddenly to her. "Only a friend, Suzume?"

She was taken aback by the sharpness of his reaction. "What?"

"Why not more than a friend?"

Shock spread across her face, but it was quickly exchanged for as firm an appearance as she could manage. "I've given you that answer before."

His eyes flashed blue fire. "So you have, but I still won't accept your refusal. Why, Suzume? You _know_ how I feel about you. I think you've known even before I admitted it. Don't pretend that you don't care either –"

"I _do_ care! But not in the same way! Argh… Don't you get it? I don't love you_ in that way_."

"And I don't accept it."

Throwing her hands up in frustration, she said, "When are you going to stop this nonsense, Keigo?"

"I'll stop only when you are happily married."

_That sounds strangely reasonable, coming from him,_ thought Suzume.

"To me."

_Scratch that_.

----------

She got home feeling quite exhausted. Atobe had been difficult to handle. What had made him bring _that_ up again? She thought he had gotten over it already. How long was it going to take him to get it into his head that she didn't love him like that?

Suzume couldn't imagine when or how Atobe had fallen for her, but she wished he hadn't. She didn't want to spoil what they had as friends. Besides, she found it a little difficult to imagine being married to Atobe Keigo. He was fine as a friend. She could talk to him easily, he could be trusted, he could be fun to be with (when not being overly full of himself) and they had enough common interests that they rarely ran out of things to talk about. But to be married to him..! She would have to nag him all the time about his arrogance and it would be a constant battle between his extravagance and her practicality. And that ego! He _could_ be nice, but…

She sighed. Part of her regretted her last words to him before she had walked out of the room. Yet she figured he deserved everything she had said. Maybe that would tell him to drop it, if a straightforward "no" didn't.

----------

Atobe stared silently out of the window that overlooked the back garden, Suzume's words echoing through his mind.

"_What on earth makes you think I'd marry **you**? You're arrogant, self-absorbed, extravagant, overbearing, a show-off and egoistic! You think you have a right to anything you want in the world, you think poorer people are beneath you and you think you can be rude to anyone you wish. You're even rude to my friends! And to Yumi's friends! Do you know how rude you were to Saeki-san? I only wonder that you aren't rude to Yumi too. I couldn't possibly marry anyone who thinks my friends' friends are unworthy to talk to him or something. You love me, you say. But do you really know what that word means? You should try learning a little consideration and kindness before professing that, Keigo. It wouldn't kill you. It'd at least make you sound more sincere_."

She probably didn't know it, but it had hurt. And it had cut him deep. It was, he thought, the first time she had ever flung _all_ of it at him at the same time. She had told him before over past years that he was arrogant, that he was wasting too much money on pointless things, that he was a snob, and so on. But she had never said it all at one go before. Nor had she ever tacked on the fact that they were reasons that put her off him.

It felt as though she'd picked up the katana that decorated the shelf in his study and run it through his heart. He hadn't realised he was capable of feeling such sharp, non-physical pain.

----------

Yumi groaned when she saw the model. "Oh goodness… Who did your hair? I thought I asked for a high up-do, not this! Come on." She pulled the model back to the hair and make up room. She called to Suzume over her shoulder. "Suzu! Watch progress while I get this fixed, will you?"

"Got it," replied Suzume, giving her a thumbs-up sign before turning her attention to the shoot in progress. She was pleased with the publicity they were getting for their spring collection. They still had a long way to go, but she thought they were doing pretty well at present. There was their spring line, and also the bunch of custom outfits ordered by various people for Christmas and New Year's events. It kept them both very busy, but she liked the activity. It was good for the business, and it was good for keeping the creativity flowing.

"These hairstylists," grumbled Yumi, coming up to her. "Sometimes they just don't listen! Why didn't we hire Nakagawa again?"

"Because he's on holiday," said Suzume.

"Ergh... Pity." Yumi glanced at the stage where the photographer was instructing another model. "This one's the ninth outfit, isn't it?"

Suzume checked the list she had. "Yup. And we have three more to go, not counting the one you just sent back to Hair."

"Do you think we can finish this today?"

"Seeing that it's already half past three, I doubt it. Not unless we want them to work overtime – and that's not necessary."

Yumi sighed. "So many things to do… Feels like ages since I last saw Syuusuke or Tezuka or Sae…"

"Oh, yes. What's happened to Saeki? Doesn't he come up anymore?"

"Those private lessons he was giving ended. He did say it was only temporary, remember?"

"Ah."

"Was fun having him around so often, though. I miss his zany behaviour already."

"More than you miss having Tezuka around?"

Yumi shot her friend a look before turning her gaze back to the model on the stage. "It's a different thing. And I still do meet him, you know. It's not like I've stopped meeting him completely. Anyway, I'm trying to forget that, okay?"

"Yes, yes. You've told me. But _why_?"

"Let's just say I'm tired of hoping and wishing for something that's not going to happen," said Yumi, before turning the subject. "Speaking of missing people, I haven't seen your idiot friend Atobe Keigo lately."

Suzume rolled her eyes. "He decided to bring _that_ up again about a week ago and I finally lost it. Told him off rather severely, so he's probably gone into a temporary sulk or something. Anyway I'd rather not see him until he's calmed down and gotten over it."

As far as Yumi could see, Suzume showed no signs of remorse over having told him off or that she felt his absence very much. Still, she did wonder if Suzume actually felt more for him than she realised. She couldn't imagine _why_ Suzume would care for that arrogant man, but twenty years of friendship could probably see past that arrogance. Atobe did have one thing in his favour though – at least he showed his feelings and Suzume knew exactly how he felt about her. In a way it was better than Yumi's own situation, floundering about uncertainly – not knowing whether Tezuka really cared or not, until she overheard those snatches of conversation at that garden party.

----------

"I don't think that amount of alcohol could be very good for you, Atobe," said Tezuka, looking pointedly at the now-empty glass the other man set on the table.

"That's only my third," Atobe said.

"Yes, and if you go on the way you've just downed those first three glasses, it very soon _will _be more than is good for you."

Atobe ignored him and tipped the bottle over to refill his glass. When he put the bottle down again, Tezuka reached out, took it and placed it on the floor beside his own chair.

"What are you doing?" asked Atobe.

"Stopping you from overdoing it."

"You realise that I can always order another bottle, don't you? You'd have to take it away from me every time."

"If I have to."

Atobe glared at Tezuka. "What gives you the right to stop me?"

"The same right you had to try and play matchmaker for me – none."

Atobe could find nothing to say to that, so he settled for taking another swig. Tezuka wondered if Atobe got this way whenever upset by a woman or if this was just a one-off reaction to Takahashi Suzume in particular.

"You should be grateful I tried to help," muttered Atobe. "I wish someone would help _me_."

"No, I don't think you really do."

"You're right."

Tezuka frowned. Was Atobe aware that he was contradicting himself? Was he _that_ preoccupied with his fight with her or was this an effect of those three – make that four now – consecutive glasses of whisky? If so, Atobe held his liquor more poorly than Tezuka imagined. He glanced at the bottle on the floor by his feet and felt thankful he hadn't finished his first glass yet.

"I'm not drunk," said Atobe, as though he'd read Tezuka's mind.

"Maybe not, but you seem to be well on your way there."

"So what if I am? I should think I have a right to be. The woman I love just about told me to my face that she hates my guts –"

"She didn't say that, if what you told me is true. She doesn't hate you, she just hates the way you treat other people. And that isn't something that you can't change."

"Oh, shut up. I know that already. I didn't ask you here to give me a lecture."

"So why did you ask me to come here?"

Once more, Atobe gave no answer. Tezuka figured that probably subconsciously, one reason Atobe had asked to meet him was because he _wanted_ to be stopped from going overboard. He felt a headache coming on. As if it wasn't enough that the whole Yumi-and-Saeki thing had been bothering him for the past couple of weeks… Now Atobe seemed to think that Tezuka was his counsellor or something. He suppressed the urge to massage his temples. This was going to be a long night.

----------

Saeki straightened the collar of his shirt and looked over to Fuji. "Tell me again why I'm attending this function?"

"Because Ohtori Choutarou has kindly extended the invitation to you and me."

"And _why_, exactly? I don't recall ever having much to do with Hyoutei to begin with. You, maybe. But me?"

"Blame Yumi. She's the one who got all chummy with Ohtori's girlfriend and has Atobe Keigo's love interest as a business partner. Thank her for making us acceptable to the ranks of the insanely rich." Fuji looked around for his belt and saw it lying over the back of a chair. "Ah. There it is."

Saeki mussed his hair thoughtfully and then groaned, remembering that he had put gel in it barely five minutes before. "I've just ruined my own hair," he said mournfully, gazing at his reflection in the mirror.

"Don't worry. You're one of those that look better with not-so-slick hair," Fuji said, adjusting his belt. "That's what Yumi always says."

"I suppose that's some comfort." Saeki pushed an errant strand or two away from his face. He picked up his jacket and slipped it on. After running a hand over his hair to smooth it down a bit, he turned to Fuji. "How do I look?"

Fuji glanced at him. "Dashing. And I?"

Saeki gave his friend the once-over and nodded approvingly. "If you were any better-looking, you'd be me. Shall we go?"

"Probably. _Hime-sama _won't be happy if you're late to pick her up."

"If _we're_ late," corrected Saeki.

"Hey, you're the date, not me."

"What? Since when did I become the date?"

"As of now." Fuji reached for his house keys and walked to the door.

"Oi…"

----------

Yumi gazed around the room. The Ohtori house was not as lavish as the Atobe mansion or even Suzume's own home, but it still reeked of wealth. There were quite a number of people in the large hall, but not as many as there had been at Atobe's garden affair. _Good thing too_, she thought. _Otherwise we'd be like sardines in a can, even though this _is_ a large room._

Saeki let out a low whistle. "Nice place."

"Yeah, it is," said Fuji.

Behind them, a merry voice called out. "Fu-ji! Yu-chan!"

An arm draped itself around Fuji's neck and another around Yumi's shoulders. "You're here at last! I almost thought you weren't coming!"

"Eiji!" they chorused.

"Hehe… Surprised? Oh, Saeki! Hello!" Kikumaru Eiji pulled his arms off Fuji and Yumi before extending a hand to the other.

"Kikumaru-kun, this _is_ a surprise!" said Saeki. "What are you doing here?"

"I was invited, of course. Ohtori-kun went to the same university as me, you know."

"You never mentioned that before," said Yumi.

"I didn't? Aah, _gomen_!"

"Is anyone else we know here?" Fuji asked.

"Oishi's here with Miyuki-chan," piped Kikumaru, flinging a hand vaguely to one side. "Tezuka too. I didn't see anyone else. Ohtori didn't mention anymore Seigaku either. There's the Hyoutei gang – Atobe and Shishido and all…"

"Makes me wonder even more why _I'm_ here," muttered Saeki.

"Come on – Oishi will want to see you all."

Yumi was delighted to see Oishi and his girlfriend, both of whom she had not seen in some time. In her opinion, Miyuki was one of the sweetest girls on earth and Oishi thoroughly deserved her. But looking at Miyuki and Oishi together sometimes made her own heart ache. They were so happy… It took all her effort to keep herself from turning melancholy, especially with Tezuka around. She decided instead to direct her attentions to Miyuki and Suzume, who had come looking for her.

There was also Saeki, whom she sensed did not feel like he fit in with the crowd very much. She found him standing near one of the doors a little later.

She poked Saeki's shoulder. "Hey. Where's Fuji?"

"He went to look for something else to eat. I think he likes the tuna."

"The ones with wasabi?"

"Yup."

"Just like him." She leaned beside him against the wall. "You all right?"

"Aah. I'm fine." He rubbed the back of his head, disregarding the state of his hair completely. "I should be asking _you_ that, though."

"Huh?"

"I don't know about Suzume-san or Tezuka, but you don't fool Fuji or me one bit. We can tell something's on your mind."

Yumi looked away. "I'll be okay."

"You don't have to pretend, you know."

"But I do," she said a little more sharply than she intended. "What good would it do to look down and depressed all night at a Christmas party? It would upset Sayuri and Ohtori-kun. And Suzume would be worried."

"Well, _I'm_ worried that you're putting undue strain on yourself to keep up the pretence. Fuji says if you don't cheer up, we'll drag you home come 9.30."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "You two are dears, really. And I'm so _very_ glad you're my friends. But I'll be fine - really."

He took the hint and let it go.

"By the way, where's Atobe?" inquired Saeki. "I was wondering why I haven't seen him in this sea of richness."

Yumi laughed at the way he said it, but replied that she didn't know. "Ohtori-kun did say that he was invited, but I haven't seen him here at all." She shrugged. "Maybe he's late or he had a change of plans."

"Ah. Busy man," said Saeki.

Almost as if on cue, the door near them swung open and in walked the subject of their conversation. They were close enough that it was impossible for him to miss seeing them. For a second, he stood fixed to the spot. Then he seemed to shake himself out of it and approached them.

Bowing slightly in greeting, he said, "Hanazawa-san. Saeki-san. It's good to see you here."

Of the two, Yumi regained her wits first.

"Er, nice to see you here too. You're rather late, Atobe-san."

"Yes, I was held up at the office. I informed Ohtori and Nishikado-san that I would be late, though. How is the party so far? I trust you're enjoying it?"

"Rather," answered Saeki. "Ohtori-kun is a good host, even though he has so many guests to handle."

"Indeed. He was always good at that." Atobe glanced round and caught sight of his friends. "Excuse me – I should go and talk to Oshitari and the rest now."

He turned to head towards his friends, but stopped. For about a second, he just stood there, and then faced them again.

"Saeki."

"Er, yes?"

Yumi thought Atobe had a rather odd expression on his face. She couldn't exactly decipher what it was. But his next words made her forget it completely.

He spoke rather slower than usual, and in a careful, hesitant manner. "I – I would like to apologise… For my earlier behaviour."

Saeki just barely stopped himself from taking a step backwards out of surprise. Yumi's eyes widened.

"I'm afraid I was – not very courteous to you – the last time we met."

This time Saeki recovered before Yumi did. "Ah, that's all right," he said, waving a hand nonchalantly, and hoping that he was keeping a straight face. "No need to worry about it."

A measured, crisp nod of the silver-grey head. "I thank you." A nod to Yumi, and another slight bow. "Hanazawa-san. Saeki. I'll see you again later."

Then he turned and left.

"Was that really Atobe Keigo?" asked Saeki after a pause.

"I… _Think _so." Yumi raised a hand to her lips and stared at some invisible point in space beyond Saeki's shoulder. "But I've no idea what brought that on."

"I'd like to know too."

----------

For once, Atobe felt very self-conscious. He had to keep reminding himself to be civil, be polite, be _nice_. It wasn't too hard to forget though, since he was also painfully sensitive to Suzume's presence in the same room; it was just hard to do.

It got to the point where Shishido asked him if something was wrong because he seemed stiff and distracted, but he managed to brush the question aside without really answering it.

Someone had turned on music, and jazzy Christmas tunes filled the room. The middle part of the room had been cleared, as someone else had proposed dancing. Ohtori and his girlfriend had gamely led the way, after a little prodding from the rest of them. A few people were on the dance floor now – including Suzume. She was dancing to a lively number with Oshitari, and seemed blissfully unaware of the misery Atobe was feeling.

He itched to go up to them and just cut in (in fact, he thought Oshitari was probably just waiting for him to that), but he didn't know if Suzume would misconstrue it and take it as rude or arrogant of him. In addition to that, he wasn't quite sure how to go about talking to her after that last argument of theirs, even though she seemed to treat him as she always had. So he had to settle to watching from the side, feeling more conflicted with every passing moment.

----------

Tezuka took in the scene in front of him from a quiet corner. There was more than one dark-haired young woman in the place, but his eyes were fixed only on the one whom Fuji had just pulled to dance and was currently twirling round.

A little voice in his head asked, _What are you waiting for?_

So absorbed was he that he didn't notice another person come and stand beside him.

"Looks fun, doesn't it?"

Tezuka found Saeki next to him. "If you like dancing, yes, I suppose it does."

Saeki's mouth turned up in a quirky sort of smile. "I beg pardon, but are you always this solemn, Tezuka?"

"Usually. That's what everyone else says."

Saeki chuckled. "You should lighten up a little, Tezuka-san. But I guess being serious has its good points."

There was a pause in their conversation as both turned their attentions back to the dance floor.

"I do wonder, though…" began Saeki.

Tezuka said nothing, but waited expectantly for him to continue.

"Are you serious about _her_?"

It caught him off-guard. He faced Saeki, brown eyes meeting piercing blue.

"Why do you ask?" he finally said, after another pause.

"Because she's a very precious person to me, and I should like to know just what you are intending to do – if anything at all." There was an unusually serious expression in Saeki's face as he spoke, one that quite matched Tezuka's own.

"If it makes you feel any better, I _do_ care for her," Tezuka said.

"Oh? I see." _As if I didn't know that already_.

Saeki waved to Suzume, who swung past on Oshitari's arm. He wondered why Atobe didn't try to cut in on that dance. He let another few seconds of silence go by before saying, "If you care for her, then why haven't you done anything yet?"

When Tezuka didn't answer immediately, he decided not to give him any time to think up a reply.

"If you don't do something soon, Tezuka-san, I think something of yours – something deeper – is going to break, and this time it won't be your arm that hurts. In fact, it's probably going to hurt a _lot_ more than not being able to play tennis for a couple of months."

"What –"

"I don't know why you're still waiting, but you might lose her faster than you think. There's a limit to how much I can stand. Ah, Fuji!" His air changed immediately from dead serious to cheerful once again, seeing Fuji pass by with the lady in question. "I'm cutting in – it's my turn."

Saeki stepped up to take Fuji's place and cast a swift, meaningful look at Tezuka before catching the music's tempo and whisking Yumi away.

Tezuka was left in the corner with Fuji, feeling somewhat bewildered, and at the same time having the distinct impression that something had changed in the atmosphere. Though he had been taken aback, he didn't miss the challenging tone of Saeki's words or the look that he threw him. A constricted feeling crept around his insides. Was that which had been bothering him about Saeki and Yumi – true?

----------

Atobe's inner conflict had turned into sheer irritation. It looked as though Oshitari was trying to provoke him on purpose, dancing round after round with Suzume. He had even switched with Shishido and that damned flirt Taki before taking a turn with her again. That Oshitari Yuushi was just asking to be murdered one day. No, he couldn't kill him. That would be illegal. And Suzume wouldn't like it. He could buy the company Oshitari worked for and then fire him, though. Or he could…

What was the man smirking at him for now? If Oshitari was going to hand Suzume over to Taki again, he'd – he'd drown him in Ohtori's koi pond. Or the swimming pool. Whichever was deeper. Maybe the koi pond. Ohtori's pool wasn't a large one. Oshitari probably wouldn't drown easily in just six feet or so of water. But then Ohtori Senior might not take well to his prize fish being scared out of their wits.

Atobe was stunned out of his plans for vengeance when, before he quite realised it, Oshitari deposited Suzume in front on him in one elegant move.

"I believe you'd like a turn too, Atobe?" drawled Oshitari, holding Suzume's hand out to him.

Somehow he managed to maintain enough calm to respond – albeit a little stiffly: "If she would allow me to."

"Why would I not?" said Suzume.

She smiled at him and he felt like the world was a wonderful place again. But the next moment the good feeling vanished when he remembered her most recent rejection of him.

He steeled himself as he took her hand from Oshitari and led her to the makeshift dance floor._ If you know the problem, you can solve it_. _Or at least try to._ That's what Tezuka had said. He was reluctant to admit it, but Tezuka was right. Very well then. He would do it. He'd be nice to anyone she asked him to be nice to if that would put him back in favour again. He'd _make_ her love him if it was the last thing he did. The only problem was – how, exactly?

At least he was adept enough at dancing that he didn't need to be fully focussed on it to do it reasonably well. After all, he was Atobe –

"Keigo?"

She was looking up at him, a slightly sceptical look and amused smile on her face. "Your mind's not here, is it?"

_Unfortunately, I can't get it to be anywhere else_.

"I can tell when you're not concentrating, you know," she continued. "I think we've been friends long enough to be able to know that much."

Friends. Oh, how he was starting to hate hearing that word from her, especially in relation to the both of them. Possibly the only thing he hated more than that now was "_just_ friends."

The music picked up in tempo and he let go of her waist to twirl her accordingly.

"What's wrong?" Suzume asked when she returned in a second from the spin.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he said, shortly. "Don't make me answer – please."

If he had been looking at her then, he would have seen the surprise that crossed her face. She _had_ thought of pressing him for an answer – she always believed it was better to talk about something than to keep it pent up inside – but the abrupt way in which he'd replied was different from the usual. The normal way would be for him to mutter something about not wanting to discuss it and then go on with something about how he would deal with it, since he was Atobe Keigo, after all, and then he would change the subject. This was definitely different.

The moderate swing beat that had been playing faded away, replaced by a slower tune. Reflexively, the arm he had around her tightened, drawing her closer to him, steps slowing to match the music. As soon as he did that, Atobe began to regret it. Now she was way too close. It wasn't that he didn't like it… It was just that seeing her like that was almost more than he could take.

He thought she looked amazing. The way the lights of the room cast highlights on her hair, the way her lips curved slightly as she hummed along with the song even while they danced, the smooth sweep and confident set of her chin, and those lustrous eyes so unique in their colour. All he wanted to do at the moment was to lean down and kiss her senseless. But just as with every other time in the past that he had felt that way, he knew he couldn't do it. Not with things as they were.

----------

"Thank you for inviting us," said Fuji, shaking his host's hand. "We had fun."

"That's great," Ohtori said in reply. "I'm glad you came, Fuji-san. Saeki-san too. Oh, Hanazawa-san – going already?"

Yumi nodded. "These two are supposed to send me home. Where's Sayuri? I haven't said goodbye to her yet."

"Ah, she should be with some of her friends. Let me get her for you. I'll be just a moment." Ohtori disappeared back through the door to the hall to look for his girlfriend.

"So, had fun?" Fuji asked Yumi.

She nodded. "Quite. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be here now, would I? You two would have forced me to leave one and a half hours ago." Turning to Saeki, she said, "I told you I'd be all right."

He laughed. "That you did."

Fuji turned at the sound of the door opening and saw Tezuka come out. "Going home too, Tezuka?"

"Yes, shortly. I'm waiting for Oishi and Miyuki-san."

"Going back together?"

"I'm dropping them off at the station."

An idea struck Fuji. "Say, why don't you send Yumi back?" He caught her arm and pulled her forward; ignoring the horrified _what-are-you-doing_ looks she was giving him. "Her place would be along the way from the station to your place."

Seeing that Fuji appeared to be blind to her silent pleas, Yumi turned to Saeki beseechingly.

_Sae! Help!_

But he merely looked at her, a glint in his eye, and said, "Yea, and you were saying that you were feeling tired, right, Yu-chan? You'd get home faster that way instead of having to go for supper with Fuji and I."

_Traitor._

"That's right," said Fuji, trying to inch her inconspicuously further forward, but he found that she had a better grip on the floor with three-inch heels that he had thought she'd have. "I'm sure Miyuki would love your company in the car too, Yu. So, could you take her home, Tezuka?"

"It's fine with me."

"Good! That's settled then!" Fuji let go of her and grinned. "We'll be off now. Say thanks to Ohtori again for us."

"We'll call you tomorrow, Yu," said Saeki. "Good night, Tezuka-san."

Yumi glared at her cheeky friends as they made a hasty exit. _Wait till I get my hands on you two_, she thought grimly. She changed the glare into an exasperated look when she apologised to Tezuka.

"Sorry. I'd kill them if they weren't my friends. Looks like I have to trouble you again."

"It's no trouble at all," he said. "It's an honour."

Mischief-making friends were relegated temporarily to a back room of her mind at the sight of the rare, small smile of reassurance that he gave her.

----------

Oshitari brought Suzume's overcoat to her. "Found it. Luckily you used this one – otherwise I might not have been able to find your coat in that mess of Gucci and Versace and Issey Miyake and whatnot." He helped her with it, holding the blue coat up for her to slide her arms through the sleeves more easily.

"Thanks," she said.

"How are you getting home?" Atobe inquired, trying not to glower at Oshitari.

"Oh, I sent for the car already. It should be here soon."

"You – " He stopped suddenly and paused for a second before saying, "You take care, okay? I need to go find Ohtori now. Need to talk to him about something." He walked off before Oshitari or Suzume could say anything.

"I could've sworn he was going to say, 'You could've told me – I'd have sent you home!'" said Suzume.

"That's what I thought too," Oshitari said. "That's his usual line."

Suzume threw him a half-grin. "You know that too, eh?"

Oshitari chuckled. "He nearly always says that to you whenever you do this."

"He does indeed."

"But" – Oshitari pushed his glasses up a bit – "he's been slightly strange all night. Have you noticed?"

"Yes," Suzume answered slowly. "I noticed. I don't know what's up with him. He won't talk about it. I tried asking."

"Hmm… I wonder." Oshitari cast a musing gaze in the direction Atobe had gone in.

----------

Saeki flopped down on the sofa, which wasn't quite long enough for him so his legs had to dangle off one end.

"Your sofa's too short, Fuji."

"You're the one that's too tall," retorted Fuji, going to the kitchen.

"Get a bigger apartment already."

"Only if you pay for it."

"Don't you make enough?"

"Not quite. And it's not a good idea to insult your host, you know." The apartment owner walked out with two mugs in one hand and a teapot in another. He set them down on the table. "Tea?"

"No coffee?"

"You drank the last of it when you arrived in the afternoon."

"Hey, I needed it! I went to see a late-night movie with Bane and Dabide last night. Wish we hadn't brought Dabide, though. Him and his puns…"

"Hasn't kicked the habit yet?"

"Nope. Thanks." Saeki sat up and took the tea Fuji offered him.

Both drank their tea in silence for a while, enjoying the warmth of the drinks. Fuji put his mug on the table again.

"By the way, what did you say to Tezuka before you danced with Yumi? He seemed suddenly preoccupied or… Well, just slightly absent, though he was fine for the most part."

Saeki told him. Fuji scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Nicely done, Sae. I couldn't have thought up better lines myself. I think you really managed to catch his attention there." He grinned. "Maybe now Tezuka will do something. Nice job. You should think about going into acting some time." Fuji started to pour himself some more tea.

Saeki lay down on the sofa again and stared up at the ceiling.

"Fuji."

The slender photographer returned to his chair with another mug of tea, a small wisp of steam rising from it. "Yea?"

"I wasn't acting."

* * *

Th-th-th-that's all for now, folks! Thank you for reading!  



	5. Chapter 5

**DOUBLE STORY**

I was kinda nervy about this chapter on Endless-Dreamers, and am still a bit nervy about uploading it here. Let's just say I tried a slightly different direction of character than is usual. I tried to portray a different side of character X (I'll leave you to see which one it is. hahah) without going entirely OOC. I think I managed it. But I'm still nervous. I hope minna-san likes this chapter too!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Fuji didn't know what to do with this new development. Good thing Saeki had gone home that morning. He needed to think. He felt like he was torn in all sorts of inconvenient directions. He _wanted_ Tezuka to hurry up and make a move already – for his good and Yumi's. And now his partner-in-crime had done the most inconvenient thing and developed actual romantic feelings for their other best friend.

What would Yumi say if she knew? He didn't know. They had never been in such a situation. Chances were she'd think they were joking with her. If she took them seriously, no telling what would happen. But he imagined it would create a good deal of awkwardness for her, especially since she didn't seem to have lost any significant amount of emotion for Tezuka.

He knew that it was rather hopeless for Saeki unless Yumi got over Tezuka. And he knew Saeki knew that too. It was probably a good thing Saeki had not yet reached _that_ point of romantic love. It was early days yet. But no matter what he said, Fuji saw from the way he talked that he was edging closer to actually falling in love with her.

Argh. Saeki was supposed to help, not overturn all their plans! Not that he could blame him, really. There were just some things that were too unpredictable. But what was Fuji to do now, torn three ways between Yumi, Saeki and Tezuka? He couldn't take sides. He didn't know which side to take.

----------

Saeki sighed. He hadn't meant to start feeling this way. Somehow, somewhere along the way the natural affection he had for his old friend had begun to change. He had enough sense to know that he wasn't really in love with her yet – he had told Fuji so. He definitely liked her, and he was attracted to her. All that time spent with her recently had started him thinking about things he had never thought about before – like how he liked the remarkably intense black of her hair, or how he admired the quiet determination she had.

Maybe it was partially a feeling of protectiveness. He had always hated seeing his friends hurt, and Yumi was still hurting inside over what she assumed Tezuka felt. Maybe it was also admiration for her incredible sense of logic.

He smiled to himself at that. If there was one trait – besides cunning intelligence – that he, Fuji and Yumi shared, it was a well-rooted sensibility. He figured that was a major reason why they were so good at being manipulative – they knew how the mind's logic worked, how one thing could lead on to another and therefore, they were aware of what to do or say to influence a situation to their liking. It didn't _always_ work, but generally it did.

Leaning back in his chair, he raised an arm over his eyes. Things were going to be trickier now. He knew he didn't have a hope unless she stopped loving Tezuka. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to her to say anything when he knew full well that he didn't yet love her in the same way Tezuka (probably) did. Hopefully this changed feeling could devolve back to its original state, or he was going to be fairly miserable in the long run.

----------

"Ow, my feet ache," complained Suzume, stretching her legs.

"Well, you did dance like half the night after they turned on the music," said Yumi. "You danced _way_ more than I did. I was amazed you lasted so many dances."

"It was fun, that's why."

"I had fun too, but I guess I didn't have as many partners as you," joked Yumi, opening a drawer and rummaging for her black pen.

"That doesn't make any difference. I'll bet you enjoyed yourself as much as I did, even if you only danced with – who did you dance with anyway? I remember Fuji…"

"Only Syuusuke and Sae. Oishi-kun took me for a round too."

Suzume looked at her. "And… Tezuka?"

"Oh, he didn't seem to want to dance." She opened another drawer and muttered, "Where's that dratted pen?"

Suzume sensed that it was not a subject Yumi was keen to discuss anymore and turned back to her own work. She picked up her pencil and was about to start drawing when Yumi's next comment made her stop mid-line.

"Hey, did you ask Atobe to apologise to Sae?"

"Huh? Apologise?"

Yumi gave her a strange look. "I'll take it you didn't."

Suzume's expression changed from puzzlement to utter stupefaction as Yumi related it to her. "And even then, I half thought he wouldn't actually come to speak to us again later," said Yumi. "But he did. Talked to the others too. And overall was _fairly_ decent compared to his usual high-handed ways. He's not one of my favourite people, but last night he was more bearable than usual." She looked up from her drawing and cast suddenly keen eyes on Suzume, who had confusion written all over her face. "I think your last lecture to him had more effect than you know, Suzu."

With that, Yumi returned to her work. She thought Suzume's expression was priceless, but she felt it wasn't a time to laugh outright at it. She'd just have to chuckle over it quietly. It was evident she had given her a lot to think about.

Keigo? Apologise? The two didn't seem to go together. Especially when you added someone he defined as a "Commoner" to the mix. A "Commoner" he didn't seem to like too! Suzume stared at the pencil in her hand uncomprehendingly. He had apologised to Saeki? And he had been _nice_? Not as 'nice' as most people normally were, perhaps, but even so…

She didn't understand. _Had_ he done it because of what she said? Why now, all of a sudden? She'd pointed out his obnoxious and snobbish ways so very many times over the years but he hadn't really heeded her. She must have given him a bigger shock than she thought this time.

----------

The clock seemed to tick interminably. It seemed quieter in the office that day – for some reason, the buzz of chatter and work was lower than usual. Perhaps it was because a few had taken several days off over the New Year holiday. But even the frequent ringing of the phone on the secretary's desk at the other end of the office didn't seem to break the quietude. Tezuka didn't like it. Not when his mind was so inclined to wander to discomfiting thoughts.

He deleted a few words from the article on his computer screen and added in new ones. His eyes scanned the next lines quickly for other errors before jumping to the next paragraph.

His superior came out of his room, talking loudly on his hand phone, and kept talking all the way until he walked out of the office altogether. Normally, the loudness would have been justified, since it was usually noisier. But it seemed out of place now.

Tezuka paused to think of a word. Involuntarily, his eyes moved to his own hand phone and he felt suddenly inclined to pick it up and call Yumi. He blinked and turned back to his computer. Why had he thought of that? There was no reason to call Yumi. It wasn't like it was a bad premonition of something happening to her. He felt sure she was fine. After all, if anything happened at work, Takahashi would surely tell him – or Fuji. Or Saeki..?

He dropped his hand down on the table a little harder than he meant to. The muffled _thunk_ it made went unnoticed by the others. The other hand clenched and unclenched itself, hovering over the keyboard.

There it was again – that confusing circle of thoughts that had plagued him almost the whole day (and the weeks before, in fact). It usually began with Yumi and ended with Saeki. From time to time images of Saeki with Yumi at Ohtori's party appeared in his mind. Or recollections of her talking and laughing with Saeki at lunch. All in all the whole lot just about haunted him.

_For the first time, you recognise you could actually lose her, that's why._

It was at times like these that he thought he had the most exasperating conscience in the world. He was of the opinion that it must have a mind of its own. Not only did it seem fond of making sarcastic retorts, that little voice in his head was also like an annoying combination of Inui and Fuji sometimes – extremely matter-of-fact _and_ sly.

Irritating or no, he knew that it was right about it. It had taken him a few days to reconcile himself to the fact, but he had to admit it in the end. He didn't want to lose her, and suddenly it looked as though he actually might. High school crushes and passing interests aside, Yumi hadn't been in any serious relationship before and had never seemed like she was inclined to favour any fellow in particular, as far as he knew. Perhaps subconsciously he had recognised that, and had seen himself in a very favourable position, knowing he was among her closest friends. But now here was Saeki, posing a very real threat to him.

A glance up at the clock showed him he had about half an hour of work left. Good. Perhaps going home would give him a little more peace.

The sudden beep and vibration of his hand phone jolted him out of his thoughts. He grabbed at the phone before it vibrated itself off the table and onto the floor.

"Hello?" he said, answering the call without looking at the caller ID. The voice that greeted him didn't require any effort to identify it though. "Yumi."

----------

"I'm _so_ sorry," Yumi said, resting her head on one hand and holding the phone in the other. "I can't go out tomorrow. My sister has some emergency work that needs to be finished – argh, I wish she'd learn to finish her assignments earlier! – and can't watch our cousins, so I have to take over for the day." She shot a glare at her sister, who was doing some frantic scribbling on paper in her room. Trust something to come up the day she was supposed to go and see that new movie with Tezuka!

"It's all right. I understand."

She sighed heavily. "We'll go catch that movie some other day, all right? I just have to take the kid cousins to the park."

"To the park?"

"Yes. Apparently beloved sister of mine promised them she would take them to see the 'pretty ducks in the park' so… There you have it." She sighed again and switched the phone to her other hand. "Really sorry about this. Hopefully I'll be free next weekend – we can go see the show then." She reached out for the newspaper with her free hand and picked it up.

"Don't worry about the movie," he said. There was a second's pause, then, "I'll go with you tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Eh?" Yumi put down the newspaper. "Are you serious? You don't need to…" She trailed off, not really knowing what else to say.

"I don't have any other plans for tomorrow – and I haven't been for a walk in a while."

"Oh. Well… Er, if you want to come, I wouldn't mind the company."

"All right then."

"Shall I meet you at the park?"

"I'll pick you up. And no, it's no trouble at all."

She let out a small laugh. "You knew I was going to protest, huh?"

"You usually do."

Yumi had to smile at that. She wondered if he was smiling too.

She was not smiling in the morning, though. Her aunt had come early and dropped off her two cousins, who were both glued to the television set at the moment after playing a little with her. Upon seeing them, it had suddenly struck her that she had _no_ idea how Tezuka was with kids. She herself was not particularly great with kids – her sister was far better with children than she was. (Oh, she was definitely going to make that girl pay after putting her through all this…) Considering what he was generally like, it didn't look good at all. What had possessed him to suggest coming along? And what had possessed her to agree to it? A sort of dread hung around her as she sat on the sofa, watching her cousins giggle and laugh at a cartoon.

A buzz told her Tezuka had arrived. She went to the door and pressed the button for the automatic gate to open.

Tezuka walked in when the gate slid open, leaving his car parked outside. Yumi met him at the front door, looking faintly preoccupied for some reason or other.

"Hi," she said. "Uh, come in first and meet them."

The two children had turned from the television and were looking curiously at the newcomer. Yumi beckoned them forward. She patted the head of the boy. "This is Riku. And this one here trying to hide behind my leg is Aiko." Turning, she picked up the little girl. "Up we go! Ai-chan, Riku, say hi to…" She looked at Tezuka. "Er, what…?"

"I think _'Nii-san'_ will be fine."

"Okay." To the children she said, "Say hi to Tezuka-_nii-san_."

Three-year-old Aiko mumbled a shy hello. When her brother didn't say anything, Yumi thought it was time she reminded him of his manners. But before she could say anything, Tezuka wordlessly got down on one knee and greeted the boy himself.

"Hi. What's your name?"

There was a second's hesitation. "Riku."

"Riku," Tezuka repeated, nodding. "That's a good name. It's nice to meet you. You can call me Tezuka-_nii-san_."

"Okay."

Glancing up, Tezuka saw that the television was still on. "What's that you were watching?" He pointed to the television, where a bouncy-looking character was declaring that it was hungry.

The boy looked back at the television and told him the name of the show.

"Oh? That sounds nice. May I watch it too?"

Yumi stared incredulously when her cousin nodded and both went to sit down and watch the cartoon. Aiko asked to be let down and then scurried to join her older brother in front of the television. Yumi continued to stand and stare as if in a daze.

By the time they actually got to the park, Yumi was a mixture of relief and astonishment – relief that he had turned out to be not that bad with kids after all, and astonishment for the exact same reason. Riku had warmed up to him after the initial hesitation, and even the shyer Aiko seemed to be unafraid of "Tezuka-_nii-san_." She felt it nothing short of amazing.

"You've been walking around with that semi-shocked face all day," said the surprising person, joining her where she was pushing Aiko on the swing. Riku was busy scrambling over the nearby monkey bars.

"Well, I _am_ surprised…"

"That I'm not a stone around children?"

She looked slightly embarrassed, but replied, "Yeah… In other words."

Aiko giggled as the swinging made her hair ripple through the air. Tezuka leaned on a handrail nearby and looked up at the sky for a moment, wearing an expression of mild amusement.

"I have a few small relatives of my own," he said. "And my mother loves to babysit them. She makes me help her sometimes. Had to learn." He shrugged a little and decided not to mention that he suspected she did it even more lately as a method of hinting to him that she wanted grandchildren.

Yumi chuckled. "Your mother's as firm as ever, isn't she? She must be, to be able to _make_ you help her still. I can't imagine you buckling to many other people."

A new, slow smile spread across his face – half at the remark, and half at the sound of her laughter. He suddenly realised just how much he liked to hear her laugh, see her smile. When was the last time he had heard her really laugh before this? Probably at… At Ohtori Choutarou's party. Saeki came to mind instantly.

Something wrenched inside him at the memories. He had a feeling that it wasn't one of Saeki's or Fuji's little manipulative ploys. What the man from Chiba had said, he meant entirely.

Riku's voice rang out. "Yumi-_nee-chan_! Look at me!"

Both Yumi and Tezuka turned and saw him standing near the top of the monkey bars, waving both hands gleefully.

"Oh, goodness! He's going to fall if he continues waving his hand like that," exclaimed Yumi. "Tezuka, could you –"

"Right."

He was at the monkey bars in a matter of seconds, telling Riku – in a no-nonsense tone of voice – to hold onto the bars or come down before he fell, or he'd make "Yumi-_nee-chan_" worried. When the boy had finished clambering all over every inch of monkey bar, Tezuka walked him back to where Yumi was just getting Aiko off the swings.

"We're going to the lake now," Yumi said. She looked at Aiko, who has holding onto her left hand. "Right?"

"Ducks!" said the little girl enthusiastically.

Yumi shifted the strap of the bag she was carrying so that it sat more comfortably on her shoulder. Tezuka reached out and took the bag from her, slinging it over his own shoulder. She gave him a smile mixed with a little surprise and gratitude, and said, "Thanks."

They walked leisurely down the path towards the lake. Riku skipped and jumped a little way in front of them. Aiko held Yumi's hand and toddled along. It made the going a little slow, but Yumi preferred it that way. It allowed her to enjoy the company she had more.

Tezuka found no objection to the slow pace either. It gave him ample time to think as well as observe. He kept an eye on the energetic kid bouncing around ahead of them, but his mind was on the woman walking next to him. They were close enough that it would have been the simplest thing in the world for him to take her free hand in his, but he refrained from it.

The annoying voice in his head demanded, _Why?_

He didn't want to risk it. There was still Saeki. What if she did care for Saeki more? It might be the ruin of their friendship if he did something like that. It was only a small gesture, but he knew how seriously she might take it. He didn't want her to start withdrawing from him.

Riku had rounded the corner. Tezuka stretched his neck a little to make sure he could still see the boy through the trees, even though they were only a few steps behind him. He saw Riku, but he also saw someone else. A very familiar someone else walking down the path in the opposite direction. A silent alarm went off inside his head.

Yumi was listening to Aiko exclaim over a passing butterfly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked to Tezuka. "What is it?"

He pointed ahead and said, "Inui."

----------

Atobe glanced up at the person who had disturbed his peaceful Saturday afternoon. Irritated, he snapped, "What do you want?"

"Is that how you greet a friend who's come to see you? No wonder Suzume disapproves," said Oshitari smoothly.

Atobe felt the urge to pick up the book on the table and throw it at Oshitari's head. "You're a pain in the neck; do you know that?"

"Honoured to know you regard me so highly, Atobe," was the sarcastic reply.

"Get to the point already."

Oshitari figured it was a good thing he was so used to Atobe's moods or he might have taken offence at the way he was being treated at the moment and just walked out. As it was, he merely settled himself into a comfortable chair while Atobe chose to stand and stare out the window, half-turned away from him.

"What's this I hear about you actually apologising to someone?"

Atobe spun sharply on his heel. "How do you know?"

"What, you really think Suzume's not going to hear about it?"

The young master of the Atobe family turned back to the window and muttered something incomprehensible. Oshitari decided to stay where he was for a while and let Atobe mutter as he liked. He saw a newspaper nearby and picked it up to read.

Four pages later, he tossed the newspaper aside and got up. He sauntered over to where Atobe still stood by the tall window, and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"She was obviously going to find out, you know."

"I didn't mean her to."

"Well, seeing as the person who had the shock of receiving your apology was Saeki, the friend of Suzume's friend and partner, I think it was inevitable." Oshitari toyed with the hanging tassels of the rich, embroidered curtains for a bit before continuing. "I'm curious – why didn't you want her to know? I'm actually surprised you didn't do it in front of her, you being as melodramatic as you are…"

"I'm _what_?"

"…And it might have had more impact if she had actually seen it rather than to have just heard about it from someone else."

There was an audible pause before Atobe said, "If I did that, she'd think I was putting on an act."

"Were you?"

"No!"

Atobe turned indignant eyes on his blue-haired friend, but said friend seemed to be intent on admiring the patterns on his curtains instead. "What use would there be in pretending?"

"So what's the reason?" asked Oshitari, fingering the curtain material.

"For what?"

"The reason why you didn't apologise in front of her. The reason you actually _apologised_ to someone we all know you would generally consider 'beneath' yourself."

"I just told you the reason I didn't do it in her presence – because I don't want her to think I'm doing it just for show."

"And the other reason?"

"Because I want her to think better of me."

At that, Oshitari slowly turned around, but Atobe had resumed staring at a tree in the garden below.

"Hmm. That's new, coming from you. Which therapist have you been seeing? Must be an amazing one to have wrought this change."

_Takahashi Suzume and Tezuka Kunimitsu_, thought Atobe dryly. Strange ones too. The latter talked little, but when he did, he talked sense. And the former… She had new expertise in shock therapy.

----------

Yumi saw Inui almost the same instant Tezuka said his name. She froze momentarily. He wasn't unpleasant, but recollections of various gossip spread by Inui Sadaharu in school rushed through her mind. He was an academic genius, but one with a penchant for spreading 'interesting' news if it suited him. Fuji and Oishi often recounted the time when he had essentially told every Regular in their junior high team that Momoshiro and that freshman prodigy, Echizen, were involved in a love triangle with some girl and were going to do battle on the street tennis courts for her. It all turned out to be nothing in the end, but it had underscored Inui's reputation for spreading gossip. And of course, there had been that one time in the final year of high school when Inui's words had nearly driven _her_ crazy…

She felt like bolting back in the direction from which they'd come (undignified though it would have been). There was nowhere to run to, though. And it was too late to do any running or hiding as Inui had obviously seen them too. He was dressed in a sweat suit, apparently doing some jogging.

"Yo," said Inui, coming up to them. "Tezuka, Yumi-san. It's been a while."

"Yes, it has," replied Yumi.

"Quite," said Tezuka. "Jogging alone?"

"Ah, no. I'm going to meet Renji and one of my colleagues, as a matter of fact. Don't look at me like that, Tezuka. I'm not stalking you. You know very well I gave up stalking people after high school. There are other methods of finding out things." He pushed his glasses up on his face. "Anyway, what about both of you? What're you doing here?" He glanced to Aiko and Riku, who had backtracked to rejoin them and was now staring at Inui along with his sister. "Did you two get married and have kids I don't know about?"

Tezuka threw him a withering gaze, and Yumi gave him an acerbic, haha-very-funny look. "These are my cousins, Inui," she said. "I'm watching them for the day."

"I see." Inui tilted his head to one side and looked over Tezuka's shoulder. "Ah, Renji."

The name meant nothing to Yumi, but to Tezuka, it felt like the day was just getting worse. One data man was bad enough. Now there were two. It was almost as bad as being caught in one of Fuji and Saeki's mind traps.

Yanagi Renji greeted Tezuka and was introduced to Yumi. Like Inui, he looked at the children and then at Tezuka. "Yours?"

Tezuka felt his eyebrow twitch.

"My cousins, actually," said Yumi, feeling as embarrassed as Tezuka was irritated. Riku pulled at her hand. "_Nee-chan_, I wanna see the ducks."

"Ducks!" echoed Aiko.

Yumi was about to tell them to wait a little, but Tezuka said, "You go ahead first. I'll catch up."

"Ah, it's fine, Tezuka," said Inui. "We don't want to keep you all. Talk to you another time."

When Tezuka and Yumi were out of earshot, Yanagi said to Inui, "Girlfriend?"

"Nope. Will be, though. Ninety-five percent."

"Figures. I didn't think there'd be any other reason for him to carry a shining metallic gold bag that's obviously not his and to do so without flinching. I would have guessed at a hundred percent, though."

"You lack data on her. It's not going to happen if he doesn't say anything. There's a chance she'll give up if he doesn't say something soon. And I'd say… There's a sixty percent likelihood of her having _already_ given up."

"Hm…" Glancing at Inui, Yanagi said, "Not going to call someone and tell them? Usually you'd have your phone out by now."

"I may like to talk about the most interesting events, Renji, but I'm not suicidal."

"Suicidal?"

Inui jerked a finger in the direction Yumi and Tezuka had gone in. "She's very close to Fuji and Saeki Kojirou. Has a mind equal to theirs, in fact." He shuddered inwardly at the recollection of a certain incident he did not wish repeated.

He had let slip that there was a 70 _chance _of something going on between Fuji and Yumi back in high school and some gossip had taken it around all the final-year classes, increasing the 70 to 100 along the way. Some weeks later, he collapsed at tennis practice after drinking some Aozu that had somehow replaced the new juice he had in his drinking flask. He heard later that Fuji – or someone that looked like him – was seen pouring away some scary blue liquid from a container into a drain. And he found a piece of crumpled paper near the class wastepaper basket with several of Aozu's ingredients scribbled on it in a handwriting that looked suspiciously like Yumi's, although it was hard to tell as her handwriting was similar to several others in the class. Then the following week, St. Rudolph's Mizuki found him and asked if it was true that he was dating Kaidoh – he had heard from Kisarazu Atsushi who had heard from his brother in Rokkaku. That was the last time he was careless with any information pertaining to Fuji, Yumi or Saeki.

----------

Suzume fidgeted and tried to look pleasantly amused. Sometimes she wished she didn't have so many relatives. Aunts, to be precise. She had four immediate aunts – her father had two sisters and a brother who was married, and her mother had one sister – all were married, and all seemed terribly keen on seeing _her_ married. It could be bad enough when just one came to visit, but when all of them turned up…

"Don't you have a boyfriend yet?"

"Why not? A beautiful girl like Suzume-chan…"

"Surely there must be lots of young men coming after you!"

She hated those questions and comments. It wasn't only her aunts who asked those questions either, acquaintances and friends did too. Her aunts just did it more frequently. That was one reason why she liked Yumi. Yumi was one of those rare, tactful people who had _not_ made such silly remarks to her until much later in their friendship, and even then she had been joking when she said it.

"Nagasawa's son is still single…"

"Aoki Sakura's son is single too – maybe I could introduce you two…"

But worst of all was if the topic of Atobe Keigo came up, which it nearly always did as long as her mother's sister was around. She had a remarkable way of remembering Suzume's (rich) male friends.

"What happened to the Atobe boy? I thought you two got along _so_ well."

"Oh, yes! I was so sure you two would get together…"

"I think Atobe Keigo is one of the most eligible young men around – the Nagasawa young master notwithstanding. He's quite suitable. You should try for him, Suzume."

She wondered what her aunts would say or do if they knew that the aforementioned eligible young man had told her more times than she liked and in more ways than one that he was in love with her. And that he had practically proposed to her at least twice already (memories she tried not to recall because the first had been just plain awkward for her and the second sort-of-proposal… That just hadn't ended well).

There would probably be a general uproar if they found that out. She could hear it now: _You turned down the Atobes' only son? Are you mad?? Why? He's not good enough for you? They're twice as wealthy as our family!_

If her aunts knew exactly what she had said to him the last time he sort-of-proposed – she didn't know whether to call it a proposal or not, really – they might send her to have a brain scan or something. In her opinion, he had been just asking for someone to tell him off for a long time, but her aunts would see it as a terrible, horrible string of insults. But it was the truth. And peculiarly enough, it seemed to have actually done some good this time.

After what Yumi had told her, she'd kept a sharper eye on him whenever she saw him. He certainly _seemed_ a little less arrogant… And sometimes was even polite to the servant or waiter or whoever happened to be serving them. That in itself was surprising. He was usually brusque and offhand with "the help." She couldn't help but be curious and interested in this change – even though it seemed small. If he carried on this way, he might become altogether likable…

----------

"Enjoyed yourselves, huh?" Yumi asked her cousins as they walked out of the park. Aiko squealed something probably only other three-year-olds understood, but it sounded happy, and Riku bounced up and down.

"I like the big duck!" he said, throwing arms wide for emphasis.

"Oh? I liked the baby ducks better," said Yumi. She had been somewhat surprised to see ducks there – she had somehow imagined there wouldn't be any, seeing as it was still the cold season. "You made a new friend too, didn't you? Ai-chan, don't run so fast." She addressed the last remark to Aiko and caught the little girl by the hand before she ran too far ahead.

"He made a new friend?" asked Tezuka.

"Yeah, you probably didn't see it," she said. "You went to get the umbrella from the car then, I think. There were a few other kids around and he started playing with some of them." She looked down at Riku. "Wanna tell Tezuka-_nii-san_ who your new friend is? What's your friend's name?"

"Mai-chan."

"Oh? A girl?" said Tezuka, smiling a smile that Yumi thought he seemed to reserve only for children.

"Yea."

"Is she nice?"

"Yea! She gave me sweets!" Riku brandished a lollipop and waved it around.

Tezuka gave Yumi a questioning look, and she saw the laughter in his eyes. She decided she liked the look. He seemed to loosen up quite a bit around little children. His mother must have done a lot of babysitting for him to be so used to them. It was really astounding. "Actually, the girl's mother told her to share the sweets with the kids around," she explained.

"Ah." He turned back to Riku. "You like Mai-chan?"

"Uh huh."

"My uncle and aunt say there are a lot of girls at his kindergarten, so I guess he's used to girls," said Yumi, ruffling Riku's hair as they walked.

"I see," said Tezuka. "So you like playing with girls, Riku?"

He nodded and said, "Don't boys like girls?"

Riku was too young to appreciate the reactions his innocent comment drew from his guardians for the day. Tezuka's expression faltered a moment and he looked a bit staggered but somehow managed a vague answer that was something along the lines of "probably" and "they usually do." Yumi, on the other hand, felt her face grow warm with embarrassment and was possessed of a sudden need to hide her face, resulting in a delighted Aiko being unexpectedly picked up and cuddled enthusiastically.

Then Riku unwittingly dropped another bombshell by asking next, "Tezuka-_nii-san_ too?"

A short pause followed it. Yumi hid a grin, unable to deny the amusement of the whole situation, although it _was_ somewhat embarrassing. It was rare that Tezuka Kunimitsu was put on the spot. And by a little kid barely six years old!

His answer came after a few more seconds; slow and careful: "Well, generally yes. I do."

Something in the way he said it made Yumi's hidden mirth check itself. And the amusement died straightaway when he went on to add in that cautious tone of voice, "Some girls more than others."

She turned hesitantly to look at him. He was looking down at Riku, but then raised his eyes to meet hers, and her breath caught in her throat. There was an expression in his brown eyes that she had imagined she saw once or twice on past occasions, but she had always thought it was just her imagination or wishful thinking because the look usually disappeared within a second of her seeing it. This, however, did not at all seem like it was a figment of her imagination.

Aiko interrupted the moment by clamouring to be put down. Yumi blinked; she had almost forgotten she was still carrying her cousin. She put her down, feeling a little relieved for the interruption.

----------

For the second time that day, Oshitari chucked aside the newspaper – this time after he finished reading it. Atobe had decided some time ago that staring down at the garden wasn't very entertaining and was now watching some sports programme on the television. Whether he was really paying attention to the programme or not, Oshitari didn't know. He glanced at his watch. "Aren't you hungry yet, Atobe?"

"Not really."

"It's already past one."

"I had a heavy breakfast."

"And what time was that?"

"Half past nine. Unlike you, I don't need to eat every three or four hours."

"I don't, but then I guess I'll just ask Suzume if she wants to go to lunch."

Arching an eyebrow, Atobe said, "Why do you enjoy annoying me this way, Oshitari Yuushi?"

The other man merely smirked and dialled a number on his hand phone. He switched it to speakerphone mode for Atobe's benefit. A voice Atobe recognised as Suzume's butler answered the phone. "Oshitari-sama" was told in a crisp voice to "please wait a moment; the young mistress would be called."

It wasn't long before she came to the phone. "Yuushi! What's up?"

"I'm with Atobe right now and we're thinking of going to lunch. Care to join us?"

"YES!" Her voice came over the line so loudly that both Oshitari and Atobe started, the former nearly dropping his phone in the process. "Where? What time? Now? I'll be there!"

"Er…" Oshitari was a bit taken aback by the energy of her response. "You can name the place."

She thought for a second then named a restaurant they often went to. "I'll see you two there in a while then. _Ja_!"

A click signalled the end of the call. Oshitari looked at Atobe. "I wonder what that was about…"

----------

The trip back from the park was strangely normal, in spite of that little incident. Riku and Aiko were happy and as chatty as little kids could be in the back seat of a car, and the two adults in question had managed to compose themselves to a state of normalcy so successfully that a casual observer would not have noticed anything at all.

Upon reaching her home, Yumi got her cousins out of the car and thanked Tezuka, who had to leave then to join his parents for lunch.

"It was fun," she said. "I just hope you weren't bored or anything."

"Not at all."

"Enjoy your lunch! And say hello to your parents for me. Riku! Don't push your sister!" The last remarks she addressed to the boy, who was running into the house past Aiko.

Tezuka nodded. "I will."

She said goodbye and then started to walk away to her house. The sound of a car door opening caused her to turn around, and she saw Tezuka getting out of the car.

"What is it? Is something –" She stopped short on seeing his face when he turned to face her. There it was again, that inexplicably riveting look in his eyes. They were probably about a metre apart, but he could have been an inch or five metres away and it would have made no difference, she felt.

"What…?"

"Can you go out for dinner tonight? With me."


	6. Chapter 6

**DOUBLE STORY**

My apologies for taking so long to update! I meant to upload this last week, but the site wouldn't let me upload it for some reason and I kept getting errors. Ergh. Anyway, _finally_ managed to upload it!

So here's chapter 6 - a bit shorter than the previous chapters because I was going through a writer's slump when I wrote this (as well as having a tonne of other things on my mind...)

* * *

**Chapter 6 **

Oshitari frowned across the table at Suzume. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't your place further from here than Atobe's?"

"It is," she answered placidly, taking a bite of the fish on her plate.

"Then… How is it that you were here before us?"

"I flew."

He rolled his eyes. "Really."

"Was there some reason you wanted to get away from home so badly, Suzume?" asked Atobe suddenly.

Suzume gave him a wry look. "You know me too well. Yuushi, pass me the tartar sauce, will you? Thanks." She dipped another piece of fish into the sauce before saying simply, "My aunts are visiting today."

Atobe raised an eyebrow. He remembered some of her aunts vaguely. "I see."

"What's wrong with that?" Oshitari asked.

"They're very _very_ keen on me getting married."

Oshitari smothered a laugh as he finished his own food and pushed his plate away.

She sighed and shook her head. "They mean well, but it's _so_ tiresome. And they're beginning to start thinking of playing matchmaker already…"

"Oh?" A grin spread across Oshitari's face. "Who are they thinking of setting you up with?" He glanced at Atobe, who returned the look with one that said 'shut up, you' and turned away to stare at some invisible point on the far wall.

"A few people," she said nonchalantly.

"Who? I'm curious," persisted Oshitari.

Atobe didn't know if he wanted to know who her aunts were intending to set her up with. He wasn't entirely keen on hearing which other man would be her potential husband. If only that idiot Oshitari would shut up and let things be.

She reached for her drink and waved one hand in a slightly irritated manner. "Oh, I can't remember all their names. There was a Nagasawa Takeshi…"

_Nagasawa?_ Atobe had heard the name before. Had met the man in fact. Personable fellow, charming to women. _I'll kill him._

"… And Aoki something or other…"

Aoki Kenta. Son of shipping magnate Aoki Tsuyoshi. Atobe hadn't met him before, but he'd heard of the man. The guy liked yachting and fishing out at sea, it seemed.

_I hope he drowns at sea._

"I can't remember the other names they threw at me," said Suzume. "But they make it sound like half the well-to-do and rich young men in Japan are single and available and just waiting for me."

"No mention of an Atobe in that list of 'well-to-do and rich young men'?" joked Oshitari.

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Suzume.

Atobe's head jerked up ever so slightly. Suzume didn't appear to have seen it, but Oshitari saw it and he revelled in the amusement.

One look at Oshitari's face told Suzume he was baiting her. Before he could say anything else, she said, "They mentioned a certain _Oshitari_ too. My Aunt Akiko says she hears her friend Oshitari Juri's nephew is still single and an absolute _hunk._"

Oshitari felt two steely blue eyes boring holes into the side of his head. He began to regret the topic somewhat.

----------

The garden was quiet, the loudest sounds being only the muted bubbling of pond water and the occasional faint rustling of leaves. Koi of various colours – red and white, gold and black, brown, silver – swam in the large pond. Fat goldfish with translucent, trailing fins scurried in and out between the bigger fish. A stronger breeze blew and a wind chime tinkled gently somewhere, its musical notes adding to the peace and beauty of the place.

Into this well of tranquillity Tezuka had escaped on arrival at home after lunch, but his mind was far from calm. It was a roaring thunderstorm in his head.

What – what had he gotten himself into? What had he done? And _why_ had he done that? This was horrible. Too sudden, too unplanned. What was he supposed to do? What in the world had made him ask her out like that?

It wasn't like he hadn't gone out with Yumi alone before; he had – almost as often as Fuji had in recent years. But he was acutely aware that this time it was different. He had known it from the instant the question came out of his mouth. There had been a definite intention there when he asked the question. It wasn't a 'normal' outing by any means. He acknowledged desolately that he had let that much show in his voice. Maybe in his face as well. He wasn't sure.

Yumi had probably caught that impression anyway. He was sure she had. It was in the surprise that was written all over her face when he asked her.

Tezuka focussed his gaze on a sleek white koi with striking black and red markings. The fish's unhurried, carefree movements were usually calming to him. It did help – a little. But he was still a very confused man. And he didn't really like it. He was used to being in control of himself. He was not used to feeling confused and uncertain. Think. He needed to calm down and think.

He wasn't sure what he was to do. He had asked her out. Right. Where was he going to take her then? He hadn't the faintest idea. And what was he going to do – or say?

How he wished Oishi wasn't busy with his medical studies. He could have used the advice at the moment. He just couldn't bring himself to disturb his friend, who was nearing the end of his long years of training and studying. At times like this he wished he was as most people seemed to think him – all-knowing and always in control. But he wasn't. He was fallible. He could be as uncertain and confused as much as the next person. He just hid it better. And regained control of himself faster – sometimes.

----------

Yumi stared blankly at the television whilst her cousins played with some toys nearby. His question kept replaying itself in her mind: _Can you go out for dinner tonight? With me._

The pragmatic half of her mind reiterated that it wasn't an unusual occurrence, but was forced to admit that the way he'd asked it was certainly out of the ordinary. The romantic half wandered from thought to thought in a flustered manner at the recollection of his tone of voice and the look in his eyes. All in all, she felt a little unnerved, with a tinge of wonder. She was also happy though. The prospect of spending time with Tezuka usually raised her spirits a little, and this was no different in that sense.

She turned to glance at the clock on the wall. Four-fifteen. He'd said he'd come for her at seven. Work or no, she was turning Riku and Aiko over to her sister just before six. Their aunt would pick them up at around eight anyway. Two hours of watching the kid cousins wouldn't do her any harm.

Riku came up to her and tugged at her sleeve, asking for some water. She got up and went to the kitchen to get some. Even as she poured some water into a cup, she felt she was doing it rather robotically, only half concentrating. She just kept mulling over Tezuka's words and expression. They made her curious.

Her romantic side whispered a possible explanation, but her practical side always argued with it. She supposed it was good to be practical in cases like these, otherwise she might end up frantic with the thrill of daydreams (that might not actually become real), and be about as much use as one of those female anime characters who went around squealing with hearts in their eyes. _Better to be pragmatic than idiotic_, she figured, setting down the flask of water and closing it. She wondered if there would ever be a time when her dreamy side would be free to indulge in a more solid reality rather than just things imagined.

----------

The cinema was full with the weekend crowd. Suzume tried to edge her way to a place where she could see the movie schedules for the day without being squashed or having to crane her neck too much. She was relatively tall for a woman, but there were many people taller than she was in that mass of moviegoers.

Pity Oshitari had left for a date – she could have used his height and eyes to help her see the schedules. (And she would have loved to meet this girl he was seeing. She sounded interesting.) Atobe didn't look like he was going to be any help; he just looked a bit dazed at being stuck in the crowd. Obviously he rarely went to normal screenings at the cinema. But it didn't matter. She was just glad to have an excuse to stay out of the house. When Oshitari had called, she had scuttled back to the room where her relations were with her mother, made up some apology and excuse about having a prior appointment with friends that she'd forgotten about and had made a rapid exit. She certainly didn't plan on going home until late at night.

After a bit of squeezing and searching, she found a more convenient angle from which to view the scrolling movie times on the board. Tiptoeing a little, she managed to see over the many heads and read the titles towards the bottom of the board. Her eyes scanned the list.

_Hm… Which one to see? That one's supposed to be good, but I think it'll be hard to get seats, looking at this crowd… What did Yuushi say about that one? Can't remember if he rated it three or four stars… Which one, which one… _

A hand grabbed her arm and nearly unbalanced her from her position on tiptoe.

"Keigo!"

"Don't run off like that!" he said angrily. "I turn my back on you for three seconds and you disappear. At least tell me when you're going elsewhere!"

"What are you so angry about?" she asked. "I didn't 'run off' anywhere. I just wanted to find a better place so I could see the schedules more clearly. Do you mind letting go of my arm now?"

He ignored her last question. "You should have told me! Damn it, do you know how worried I was? How am I supposed to know what happened to you? I had to look all over for you!"

Suzume looked at him more carefully and noticed that his hair was a little dishevelled, and his breathing was slightly ragged. Her irritation melted. _He really _was_ worried about me._ Then she frowned slightly. Just how rarely did he come to cinemas? Sure, he was rich. But so was she and _she_ didn't stay away from public areas. It wasn't logically possible for her to get lost so easily in the cinema foyer. There wasn't much that could happen to her either in such a crowded place, apart from getting her wallet stolen or something. Talk about paranoia…

"I'm fine, Keigo. Sorry I didn't tell you – I didn't think you'd get so upset over it. But I'm fine, see?"

He studied her, as if trying to satisfy himself that she was indeed all right. Releasing her arm, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked up at the display boards. After a few moments of silence, he said, "So what have you decided on?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe we'd watch that one." She pointed up at the topmost title. "Yuushi said it's good, but I have a feeling half the people here today are going to watch that. It'll be hard to get decent seats." She gestured to the long lines at the ticket counters.

"That line's a lot shorter than the rest," said Atobe, nodding in the direction of a queue to the far left.

"That's because the tickets there are almost twice the normal amount," Suzume said. "Premium screen, you know."

"Is the show on there too?"

Suzume looked up at the boards again. "Hmm… Yeah, it is. Next show's at four-thirty."

"Nice timing. Let's go then."

"What?"

"You want to see it, right?"

"Yes, but it's expensive there!"

Atobe turned to her. "Suzume, who am I?"

"Huh? You're… Atobe Keigo?" She wondered where this conversation was going.

"And I am…?"

"A brat?"

He shot an annoyed look her way, which caused her to start laughing. "You were just _asking _for it with a question like that!" she chuckled.

"Hmph. Even if I am a brat, I'm a _rich_ one. Do you seriously think that amount of money is going to burn a hole in my pocket?"

"Let me rephrase that: you're a rich brat who thinks nothing of spending money."

"No, I'm a rich brat who thinks nothing of spending money on _you_. Come on. " Atobe gave her no time to be surprised or to reply, taking her by the hand and pulling her to the queue.

----------

The green numbers on the clock in his car showed 7:10. Tezuka compared it with the time on his watch. There was two minutes' difference. His watch was faster. He slipped on his coat when he got out of the car. It was still winter, after all, and nights were chilly.

He heard the crisp dinging of the doorbell somewhere inside her house when he pressed the button beside the gate, which slid open about three seconds later. He walked slowly up the driveway to the front door, feeling blessedly calm and composed. It had taken him the whole afternoon, but thankfully he had managed to return to his normal state of self-control.

Yumi's sister opened the door and asked him to come in, saying Yumi would be down in a minute. When he entered, Riku popped out of the kitchen, cookie in hand, and exclaimed, "Tezuka-_nii-san_!"

He smiled at the little boy as he took off his coat and folded it over his arm. "Still here, are you? Where's your sister?"

"Watching TV."

"Ah."

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Tezuka looked up at the sound of her voice and his breath caught in his throat. Yumi was usually a good dresser, even if Suzume was supposedly the more gorgeous of the two, but this was one of those occasions when she looked even more put-together than normal. She wore a simple dress with a draping collar and sleeves, the skirt reaching below her knees. The only accessory she had on was a gold belt of some sort, foregoing her usual ring or necklace. The simplicity of the whole thing suited her as much as the colour – a deep shade of blue – did. All in all, he thought she looked beautiful.

Yumi hoped her hair looked all right. She had spent the last fifteen minutes looking for that blasted gold-coloured hair clip and had finally decided to give up on it and leave her hair loose.

"Sorry," she said again when she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Was looking for my hair clip. Couldn't find it though."

"You look fine." As soon as he said that, his mind yelled back at him: _**That's** all you can say? Idiot. You just wasted a chance to say something nicer than that!_

"I'll be just a moment – got to find my shoes."

Whilst she looked through the shoe cupboard for the pair she wanted – a little hampered by Riku's deciding that this was the perfect time to start asking her questions about where she was going – Tezuka took the chance to recollect what wits he had lost when he saw her coming down the stairs. It didn't take her long to find her shoes, but it was sufficient time for him to recompose himself.

Yumi had decided long ago that Tezuka could definitely talk well when he chose to. Behind that silent façade was someone who knew how to talk and could do so more excellently than perhaps he realised himself, since he didn't talk all that much except when he had to or when he was around people he was comfortable with. It gratified her to know that he was comfortable around her, if nothing else.

Their conversation so far had made peculiar jumps from topic to topic, covering the mundane things like work, the interesting things like news of old friends or acquaintances (apparently one of his _kouhai_, Momoshiro, was recently engaged to an old girlfriend), and things totally not connected like the food in Hokkaido and the Broadway show coming to Tokyo in several weeks'. A strange polyglot of topics, but Yumi rather liked it. It was almost like talking to Fuji or Saeki. Just minus the jibes and nuttiness that characterised those two friends of hers.

_Come to think of it, I haven't heard from Syuusuke in a while._

It wasn't entirely unusual, though. She figured he was probably busy with work. But Saeki was the surprising one. He seemed to make it a point to call her at least once a week now, though usually he called more than once. _Like some sort of nanny calling to make sure I'm okay_, she thought wryly. She wondered if Fuji put him up to it as a sort of safeguard in case she sank into depression or something whilst he was away. It was nice of him anyway – whether or not Fuji really put him up to it.

She watched absent-mindedly as Tezuka picked up his glass to take a sip of his drink in the lull in conversation. She thought vaguely that for someone who was not in the wealthy upper class, he had the mannerisms of that group, but without the huge self-assurance that seemed common to them. The ones she knew, anyway. Suzume was like that – she behaved perfectly (most of the time), like the daughter of a wealthy family should and also had a sort of confident air that lent itself to leadership easily. Atobe Keigo had that too, but his tended to arrogance, which made him intolerable at times. Sayuri's boyfriend Ohtori was an exception, being more self-effacing and eager to please.

Whilst Yumi stirred her iced drink and mused over the behaviour of the rich and the mannerisms of Tezuka, she herself became the subject of silent observation. As she seemed to be engrossed in staring at her own drink at that moment – staring blankly, but staring nonetheless – Tezuka let his gaze drift from her black hair to her "plain" face (he disagreed with her on that adjective though) to the fair arms and hands that emerged from the blue sleeves of her dress.

For the umpteenth time, he asked himself if he could do it. Had he the courage? If he told her… How would she react? At worst this would become a very awkward meal and she would studiously avoid him for months to come. At best… Well, at best he would be unutterably happy.

Yumi looked up at him, breaking the chain of thought. "What is it?" she asked. "Is something on my face?"

"No, not at all," he said. "It's nothing. I was just thinking."

----------

Atobe was just thankful to be out of the cinema. The show had turned out to be some sort of sappy romantic comedy with some action elements in it. Suzume seemed to have been amused, but he hadn't found it very entertaining at all. He cursed Oshitari's taste in movies. How the fellow qualified to be a movie critic he couldn't imagine. His employer must have been a woman.

"Yumi! Tezuka!" Suzume's exclamations drew his attention to a table in the restaurant they had just entered. She went over to them, and he followed at a more leisurely pace.

"… Didn't expect to see you here!" she was saying when he reached them.

"I didn't expect to see you either," said Yumi. "You were out?"

Atobe nodded in silent greeting to Tezuka, who inclined his head in return.

"Yeah, we had lunch with Yuushi and then went for a movie," Suzume said.

"All three of you?"

"Yuushi left after lunch. He had a date. New girlfriend."

"Oh?" Yumi sounded interested. "Who's she?"

Atobe recognised that look on Yumi's face. It was the look of a woman who sensed interesting news or gossip ahead. He'd seen it on Suzume's face before. He looked at Suzume. She was obviously very keen on joining them (and continuing this discussion on Oshitari's new girlfriend), but either hadn't gotten around to asking, or didn't want to for some reason. He sighed internally. Very well then.

"Mind if we join you two?" he asked, looking at Yumi and Tezuka.

Tezuka offered no objection, and Yumi assented, so he procured two chairs from an empty table – deciding to pull them up himself, instead of calling a waiter to do so, as was his first impulse – and Suzume took a seat beside Yumi. Atobe himself sat down between Suzume and Tezuka, with Yumi opposite him.

After requesting the menu, Atobe glanced at Tezuka and gestured helplessly towards the two ladies, who seemed to be having a fun time discussing Oshitari's girlfriend – even though neither had even seen her before. "Women," he said.

A mild sort of agreement passed over the other man's face. A waiter brought two menus and handed one to Atobe and one to Suzume. Atobe flipped through it and proceeded to order the most expensive thing on the menu. In his opinion, that was the easiest way to see if a place was any good. If the expensive stuff was good, then the rest of it would be too. Suzume had once laughed at that, but he had stubbornly held to it. It made decisions about food in new places so much easier anyway. He looked over at Tezuka, who looked as taciturn as usual. He wondered what was going on in that head of his.

----------

Tezuka was not one to wish evil on others. Even at the height of his tennis heydays in school, he had never wished any of his opponents ill. Not even when he lost to them. Not even when they caused him injury. But right now he made an exception.

_Damn._

He didn't often swear either, but there was no milder word for it that he could think of.

_Damn Atobe Keigo._

Just when he had made up his mind to tell Yumi when dinner was about over (thereby minimizing awkwardness in case of rejection), these two show up and Atobe ruins all his plans. There was no way to refuse Atobe's – unusually polite – question without sounding rude or strange. At that moment, Tezuka heartily wished Atobe and Suzume were somewhere on the other side of the world instead. Or somewhere at the bottom of the ocean. He didn't care. Anywhere but here. It was decidedly _not_ amusing to see his plans go up in smoke. Nor to have all his hard-mustered courage go to waste. He felt quite deflated now.

----------

Suzume was only mildly surprised when Atobe actually waited for her to be seated before he sat down himself. Already she was getting more accustomed to the better manners (though good manners were pretty easy to adjust to anyway). She was _more_ surprised when he didn't call the manager to complain – loudly – about the food, seeing that he clearly did not find his meal very pleasant. However, she was utterly astonished when he invited not only Tezuka to a game of tennis at his personal courts someday, but also told Yumi to ask Fuji and Saeki to join them if they could.

"Oshitari and some of the others will be coming too. I think they would all enjoy a few decent games," he said.

It was somehow a bit odd to have him being so… Nice. But she figured she could get used to this as well as the new manners. If anything, she had to respect the effort he was making at being nice.

"Don't they have 'decent games' with you as well, Atobe?" Tezuka asked.

"I beat them too easily for it to be fair game."

Suzume wanted to grin and roll her eyes at the same time. Now _that_ was a thoroughly Atobe Keigo answer. Probably no amount of niceness would ever be able to disguise that ego of his. It just made him less pompous. But if he lost his ego completely… She had to admit that perhaps he wouldn't _quite_ be himself anymore. Not that she liked that overbearing ego. A slightly more humble air wouldn't hurt. But she would miss poking fun at his overconfidence if he suddenly turned into Ohtori Choutarou.

----------

Yumi leaned back in her chair. The food had been pretty good – the empty plates on the table attested to that. (Except Atobe's anyway.) And on top of that, she had had a fun time talking to some of her closest friends. Atobe aside, that is. She also felt a little relieved that her pragmatic sensibilities had overruled her inner romantic. She would have been rather disappointed that Suzume and Atobe had joined them if she had come to dinner with high-flown fantasies.

But the morning's events would creep back to her mind every now and then, no matter how hard she shoved them away.

_Some girls more than others… Can you go out for dinner tonight? With me._

And that look in his eyes. She wasn't sure how to interpret that, but she knew she couldn't deny that it had been there. It was that look and his words that made even her firm practicality hesitate and wonder. In any case, it was probably a good thing Suzume had shown up. She helped keep her mind on things other than mere possibilities and what-ifs.

She liked how when a while later – almost two hours after Suzume and Atobe had joined them – they decided to leave, Tezuka had stood first and helped pull back her chair for her to get up. The small gestures were part of what drew her to him. She wondered if he was like this with his other female friends.

----------

Atobe didn't want the journey to end. He half-wished he had gotten his chauffeur to drive them instead so he could concentrate fully on talking to her. But because he rather enjoyed driving his car, he had decided to drive out himself when he and Oshitari had left to meet Suzume for lunch.

Suzume kept talking about dinner and the movie earlier. It occurred to him that she could be really talkative at times. She sounded happy, though. If she had enjoyed herself, that was good. He had too – except for the movie part. He made a mental note to tell Oshitari his taste in movies was appalling.

Her favourite song came on the radio and she stopped talking to listen to it. It took a while before Atobe realised that the song had ended and she still hadn't said anything. He glanced to the side and saw that Suzume was asleep, head leaning on the window. He turned the radio volume down a little so it wouldn't disturb her.

At the next red light, he looked at her again. Still asleep. Some of her hair had fallen across her face. Gingerly he reached out and brushed the hair aside, hoping she wouldn't wake up all of a sudden. His eyes darted to the traffic lights to make sure they were still red before coming back to her sleeping visage. He thought she looked gorgeous even when asleep.

_I could look at her forever_.

----------

Yumi allowed herself a very small sigh as the car pulled up in front of her house. Dinner had skipped by too fast for her liking, but then that was the way happy times went. Sad times dragged endlessly, but good times disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Thank you for tonight, Tezuka. It was fun. The whole day was, actually," she added with a smile, before looking down to remove her seatbelt.

Something poked at his insides. _Say it! You have less than ten seconds before she gets that seatbelt off, opens the door and shuts it again._

"Yumi, I –"

The ringing of a phone cut him off. Having just got the seatbelt off, Yumi reached into her bag and took out her hand phone.

"Sorry," she said to him. "Hold on." She flicked the phone open after a quick look at the caller ID. "Hey, Sae! What's up?"

Sae. Saeki. Memories of Ohtori's Christmas party and the uncertainty of whether she cared for Saeki Kojirou in that way all rushed back to Tezuka's mind in a flash.

"I just got home from dinner. Still in the car, actually," Yumi said. "I'm with Tezuka… Shut up, Sae. Stop snickering. I _know_ you are." Yumi felt glad that it was dark in the car, since she wasn't sure if she was as pink in the face as she felt. "Hang on, will you? Oh, never mind. I'll call you back." She closed her phone and looked to Tezuka, who seemed to be patiently waiting, one elbow propped casually on the thin ledge by the window on his side. "Sorry. He was – er – being his usual nutty self. Thanks again, yea?"

He nodded and smiled a little in a silent "You're welcome."

Yumi leaned across and gave him a quick hug. "See you around," she said, opening the door and getting out. She waved before closing the car door.

Tezuka waited until she had entered her home and closed the gate behind her. Then he drove off, rounded the corner and stopped the car at the side of the road. He slumped in his seat and pressed the fingers of one hand to his forehead, the other hand curling into a frustrated fist on the steering wheel.

* * *

I'll try to get Chapter 7 up a.s.a.p. Still tweaking stuff here and there in it. . I hope you found this chapter interesting! 


	7. Chapter 7

**DOUBLE STORY**

Here's 7!

I admit, I rather enjoyed writing the first part. (Advance apologies if I'm perceived to be "damaging" anyone's favourite character. Heh.)

* * *

**Chapter 7 **

The weather that day was unusually warm for that time of the year, offering a bright, sunny day just right for tennis – with the occasionally chilly wind. Saeki shaded his eyes as he glanced at the sky for a second. He figured it must be because winter was coming to an end. It was already the beginning of February, after all. He looked around him and wondered again how on earth he came to be here. His doubles partner for the moment, Kikumaru, was busy yelling something in jest at Ohtori on the other side of the court, while they waited for Fuji to change his racquet.

On the adjacent court, Atobe and Oshitari were facing off against Tezuka and Yukimura. Having Yukimura around was a surprise in itself. It hadn't occurred to him that Atobe would be in touch with the former captain of Rikkai Dai. From the scores being called out, it didn't look like Atobe's side was having a very easy time. He wondered if Oshitari felt smothered by the three playing with him. Tezuka, Yukimura and Atobe had not pursued careers in the sport that had so dominated their school years and certainly did not play as often as they used to, but it seemed to him that none of them had lost the skills which made them famous in school.

Under the large umbrellas on the sidelines sat Nishikado Sayuri and one Suzuki Kumiko – introduced to him earlier as Oshitari Yuushi's girlfriend.

"Saeki! We're starting again!" called Kikumaru.

"Ah, alright."

"Yosh! We're going to win this one!" Kikumaru said, pointing his racquet at their opponents.

"_You_'_re_ the ones trailing at the moment," retorted Fuji with a smile.

The game ended twenty minutes later, Fuji and Ohtori winning by a very narrow score. They joined the two women under the umbrellas and observed the game on the other court with interest.

A maid came up, carrying a tray with a jug of iced orange juice and several cups for them. Saeki marvelled at the efficiency of Atobe's staff. They replenished the drinks at an amazing rate. He settled into a conversation with Fuji, keeping half an eye on the ongoing game, where Ohtori and Kikumaru were cheering on their respective old schoolmates.

"Tezuka! Show them what you've got _nya_!"

"Nice shot, Atobe-senpai!"

Fuji looked at the two, and then back at Saeki. "Even though Yukimura's there, those two make it sound like a Seigaku versus Hyoutei match."

Saeki chuckled.

The clear voice of Takahashi Suzume rang out in greeting. "Hey guys!"

Atobe promptly missed a shot Yukimura sent his way.

Walking towards the courts across the garden were Suzume and Yumi, the latter in a wide brimmed hat as well as sunglasses. Saeki grinned. Yumi liked sports, but shirked from the heat if she wasn't playing. Someday he'd have to drag her out for a round of tennis again. It had been too long since he and Fuji had played tennis with her. She'd probably demand that they play badminton with her in return, but he didn't mind – even if he did screw it up by using tennis strokes instead of badminton ones half the time. He waved at the both of them and they came over to where he sat with the others.

"Not playing?" asked Yumi.

"Finished a game a while ago," he replied.

"Where did you two come from?" Fuji said. "You look fairly dressed up."

"Went to look at some new fabric samples and meet a potential distributor," said Suzume. "And we're _always_ dressed up. Most of the time, anyway. We have reputations to keep. _Fashion_ designers, you know."

"Ah, I forgot," said Fuji, mock apologetically. "Oh, game over already, Atobe?"

Atobe made a noncommittal action and put his racquet down on a chair. He nodded to Suzume and Yumi. "I didn't know you'd be coming."

"Just decided to drop by, since all the others would be around too," said Suzume.

Saeki saw the other three just coming off the court. He suspected Atobe had abandoned the game, rather than having actually finished it. Whether it was because he was more eager to talk to Suzume than play or because he didn't want to run the risk of losing in front of her… Well, Saeki sure didn't know. Perhaps it was a combination of both reasons. He turned to Yumi.

"Yo, _Hime-san_. How were the races?"

"The races?" She removed her hat, since she was standing in the shade.

"Yeah. The horse races. Don't people dress up in hats and nice outfits to go for race day?"

"Ha ha. Funny, Sae, funny." she said, placing her hat on the table. "You know I like hats. And it's a good way to keep the sun off my face. I don't have Suzume's naturally unblemished complexion."

He laughed. "Just teasing you. Anyway, come on – you don't have _that_ poor a complexion anymore."

"It's not a perfect one, nonetheless. You like teasing me too much. Syuusuke too."

"Because we're two of the very few who can do it without getting one of your ice queen glares."

"And I wonder why I let you two get away with it." She placed her hat on the table. "Hey," she said to Tezuka, who came up to them.

While Yumi talked to Tezuka and was introduced to Yukimura, Saeki watched her in silence and wondered how much longer Tezuka was going to make her wait for him.

---------

Atobe stood on the court, waiting for Tezuka. Oshitari and Fuji were on the opposite side, after Oshitari proposed they play a game of captains versus geniuses. Those two were tricky players in their own right. He'd have to be careful or they might do him some humiliation on the court. And to be humiliated (again) with Suzume around was the last thing he wanted.

He saw her with the other ladies, talking about something funny, by the way they were laughing. Oshitari had introduced his girlfriend to Suzume and Yumi, and they seemed to be getting along splendidly.

When Tezuka came, he met him with a level gaze. "We're not losing to those two, are we?" he said, flicking his racquet in the direction of Oshitari and Fuji. He tilted his head towards where Suzume and Yumi were sitting.

Tezuka just looked at him and then said flatly, "I never play with the intention to lose."

"Hm. Just see that we don't this time."

They won the game, but Atobe was most annoyed to find that Suzume hadn't really watched it, but had instead been talking to Kumiko about some new concept stores that had opened recently.

"Don't bother, Atobe," said Oshitari, placing a hand on his shoulder as he walked past him. "They'll always be more of shopping freaks than sports freaks."

"Then what do you call _that_?" Atobe flung a hand to Sayuri and Yumi, who were with talking to Tezuka, Fuji and Yukimura about the game that had just ended – evident from their comments and the questions posed, like Sayuri's question about how Tezuka did the Zero Shiki Drop Shot.

"Those are the exceptions to the rule. I don't know about Yumi-san, but I hear that even in college Sayuri was dead keen on tennis and squash, so that's to be expected." Oshitari picked up a glass of cold juice. "Just let it go. It's not because she's a sports fan that you like her, right?"

Thus silenced, Atobe settled into a sort of subdued sulk. Oshitari felt like laughing but didn't, figuring that Atobe wouldn't take too kindly to it at the moment.

A manservant approached and said something to Atobe. "Oh, it's here? Bring it," said Atobe. Remembering that Suzume was around, he hurriedly tacked on a "please" at the end. _Manners_, he reminded himself. At least he was managing the civility with people like Saeki much better now and didn't need to constantly remind himself.

"What's here?" asked Oshitari.

"My new dog. Saluki pup, pure-bred," replied Atobe.

"What on earth is a Saluki?"

"A dog."

"… That was lame. Don't try to do that on purpose. It really doesn't suit you, Atobe."

"It's a type of hound, and never mind if you don't know what it is. You don't know how to appreciate dogs anyway."

Oshitari decided to talk to Suzume and Kumiko instead. They made better conversation partners than a half-cranky Atobe.

Minutes later, the servant returned with a rather energetic dog on a leash, which distracted everyone – even Ohtori and Kikumaru, who had been playing a singles game on the far court. It was cream-coloured and sleek-looking, even for a puppy. Kikumaru, Sayuri and Suzume exclaimed delightedly over it while Yumi chose to move away just a step (and almost backed herself right into Fuji). Oshitari suggested naming it for one of Atobe's ex-girlfriends – "the one with the really great legs" – and got a glare from the dog's new owner in return.

"It's adorable!" said Sayuri. "A little on the thin side, but adorable anyway."

"Is it a female or male?" was Ohtori's question.

"Female," answered Atobe.

"You should definitely name it after Mika," persisted Oshitari somewhat cheekily.

Yukimura remarked that it looked a little scared, and Tezuka agreed with him. "I think it's still trying to get used to the new environment."

"Aw, poor thing!" This from Suzume. "Are you scared?" She cocked her head to one side to look at the dog.

"Come now. Let me meet my own dog, will you?" Atobe said, waving the dog's admirers away. He knelt down in front of the dog, whose leash was still held by the servant. Reaching out a hand to the puppy, he said, "Hey there – OW!"

For about ten seconds, everything was pure chaos. Atobe jerked his hand away, falling backwards as he did and almost landing on Kikumaru's feet. Kikumaru moved away just in time, but knocked over the glass jug of juice on the table behind him. It toppled and would have smashed on the ground, had Tezuka not caught it before it hit the floor. The dog was growling a little and Oshitari was needlessly telling the servant to take it away when the man was already trying to move it out of the area. Yumi leapt back, accidentally elbowing Saeki and nearly stepping on Fuji's foot. Kumiko too darted away, fortunate enough to not have anyone behind her at the time. Sayuri let out a small, contained shriek of surprise and was pulled back by Ohtori's arms. And Suzume, who was nearest to the dog after Atobe, was tugged away by Yukimura.

Even when the servant removed the unhappy dog, there was still a somewhat stunned atmosphere. Yukimura and Tezuka – the only two to have kept relatively level minds throughout the chaos – brought the others out of it.

"Well! That was something," said Yukimura. "Takahashi-san, sorry about that. Hope I didn't pull you too hard."

Suzume shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Atobe, are you all right?" Tezuka asked, looking at the man who was sitting on the ground, staring at his hand.

"Huh? Oh, it's just a scratch," said Atobe, absently. He moved his hand a little. "I'm fine. Just need to put something on this I think."

He started to get up, but Suzume stopped him. She took his wrist and turned his hand so she could see it. "This isn't 'just a scratch,' Keigo. It bit you."

"It's nothing."

Oshitari bent and took a look at it himself. "I don't think it's a severe wound – it's just a small one. But you ought to get it looked at today anyway."

"There's no need –"

"Maybe," cut in Suzume. "But it's better to be safe than sorry. Even if it _was_ merely a scratch, I'd still insist you get it checked since you didn't exactly get the scratch from a tree or a table. At the very most I think all the doctor might say is that you need a tetanus shot."

"I doubt the dog has rabies," said Atobe. "I'll be fine, so – wait. What did you say?"

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't have rabies. I said it's better to be safe than sorry, and at most they'll just give you a tetanus jab."

Watching Atobe, Saeki whispered to Fuji, "I didn't know anyone's face could change colour that fast. He's gone two shades paler already."

"There's – I don't need to see a doctor," protested Atobe. "It's nothing."

Suzume rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly…"

Yukimura leaned towards Tezuka. "Is it just me or is he actually looking _scared_ now? Did I miss something somewhere?"

"He… Just doesn't like needles of that sort very much," said Tezuka.

"Oh?"

Tezuka thought he saw a glint of mischievous interest in Yukimura's eyes. He wondered if Yukimura would tell Yanagi Renji.

Suzume was still talking. "… But you _will_ see a doctor, Atobe Keigo, if I have to drag you there myself. Yuushi can help me drag you there, right?" She looked at Oshitari, who smirked.

"I could, but I think you'll be sufficient force on your own to haul him there."

"The rest of us will help you, if you need us to," said Yukimura pleasantly. Atobe stared daggers at the serene-faced man. He tried to shake his hand out of Suzume's grip.

"I – will – be – _fine_."

"You are going to see a doctor," said Suzume, firmly. She stood, pulling him up as well. "I would add 'now or later today,' but since I don't trust you to go on your own and since I have other things to do later, you're going _now_, when I can make sure that you go." Turning to Oshitari, she said, "Take over, will you, Yuushi? The servants know you so it'll be fine. Sorry, everyone. But I really need to make sure – "

"Ah, er, it's okay," said Ohtori. "We understand. Don't worry, Atobe-senpai."

"Easy for you to say," muttered Atobe.

----------

Tezuka fingered his hair to make sure it was dry as he walked out of the guestroom. Oshitari had suggested that they make use of the bathrooms in Atobe's three guestrooms to freshen up after all that tennis. Ohtori had no qualms about it, being used to Atobe's ways and hospitality, but it had taken a little more persuasion before the others would.

He made his way to where he knew Yumi, Sayuri and Kumiko would be waiting for them. He found the others all there, except for Yukimura. Ohtori said that he had just gone in to take a shower a moment before, after Ohtori himself was done.

Yumi was sitting in a large, modern-looking chair, phone in hand, apparently typing a text message. He went over to her.

"You look busy."

"Mm. Not really. Just answering a text message from a friend." She pressed the 'send' button on her phone and looked up at him. "All refreshed now?"

"Rather." He pulled a chair up and sat down. "Are you free to grab some dinner later?"

A look of regret passed over her face. "Sorry, I can't. Sae asked me to go for dinner with him later."

Saeki again. "Ah. I see. That's all right then."

"I heard my name," said Saeki, propping a hand on the back on Yumi's chair. "What are you two saying about me, huh?"

"We were discussing all your deep, dark secrets," Yumi said. "What do you think we were saying? I just told him I've to shepherd you later in place of Syuu."

"Shepherd? What am I – a sheep?"

"No, a monkey." Yumi laughed at his expression. "I'm kidding. You're my own nutty friend, Saeki Kojirou."

"_Good-looking_, nutty friend. Don't forget that part."

She gave him a friendly shove at that, and said, "Don't be so full of yourself."

Tezuka didn't know if he should be jealous at the camaraderie they shared or relieved because, as far as he could see, it was just that – camaraderie – and nothing else.

Saeki turned to him and said, "You want to join us tonight, Tezuka?"

Tezuka thanked him, but politely declined. It sounded like a normal, friendly invitation, but he had a feeling that if he went, he wasn't going to enjoy himself at all. He wasn't even enjoying himself much at that moment.

----------

From where he stood talking to Oshitari and Kumiko, Fuji could see them quite clearly. Saeki was chatting merrily away with Yumi, and Tezuka sat on the other side of her, chipping into the conversation occasionally, but mostly just sitting there in silence.

He wondered what was going through Saeki's mind. Did he really intend to compete with Tezuka? Did he think he could win her instead? Fuji thought that a huge part of his discomfort was because he knew Saeki _could_ do it. He knew Saeki's personality and Yumi's well enough to see that the possibility existed.

----------

Atobe's impulse to run away was checked by his pride. In the car on the way to the doctor's, he had decided that since he must suffer this, he would suffer it with dignity. He already felt humiliated by the fact that Suzume knew he was afraid; he didn't want to further degrade himself by attempting to get out of it now. He would just have to take it like the man that he was. Perhaps that would redeem himself a little.

The nurse was preparing the syringe on one side of the room. He didn't dare look that way, staying stiff in his chair, the fingers of his left hand drumming the table nervously.

Suzume saw his tension. She felt sorry for him. She hadn't wanted to force him to see the doctor, but she knew she had to or he would never go.

"Hey," she said.

He turned to look at her.

"Would you rather I waited outside? Or shall I stay?"

His initial thought was for her to leave. He didn't know if he wanted her there when It – he kept thinking of the injection to come as "It", with a capital I – happened, in case he humiliated himself further by passing out or something. But then fear overcame pride and he said, "Stay."

"Sure." She smiled and patted his hand comfortingly. "Don't worry. I'll stay."

Atobe stopped drumming his fingers on the table and turned his hand up to clasp hers in silent gratitude. He suddenly felt like he would gladly face It if that meant he could hold her hand and see her reassuring face as he did now.

"Atobe-san, we're ready," the doctor said.

The doctor was a kindly-faced man in his late forties, dark hair peppered with grey. But to Atobe at that moment, anyone involved with It was anything but kindly – except Suzume, of course. He felt sweat form on his brow, seeing the dreaded Thing on a tray the nurse held.

"Keigo."

He turned back to Suzume. "Y-yeah?"

"Ease up a little. You're crushing my fingers."

----------

A while later, it was a relieved but still rather pale-faced Atobe Keigo that emerged from the room.

_I'm _alive_. I'm still alive._

His arm felt a little sore, but he was alive. He'd made it and hadn't entirely embarrassed himself either. It had taken all of his strength to sit quietly and not do any more than wince slightly throughout the ordeal. At the very least, he'd retained some dignity – even if he had almost taken Suzume's fingers off in the process. He hoped he'd never have to go through that again.

"Told you it wouldn't be that bad," said Suzume airily.

Atobe shot her a _shut up_ look through narrowed eyes, but she didn't see it.

"Nothing to be afraid of, really. Just a small prick in the arm…"

_Just a small prick… _You _weren't the one having a needle stuck in your arm!_

"I think syringes just look scary. But the actual process – especially for a simple vaccine-type shot like this – isn't that bad. It's probably worse for those with the intravenous drip and –"

"Suzume!"

"Huh? What?"

"Can you not talk about it already?"

"Oh. Sorry." She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and looked a little sheepish. "I got a bit carried away, I think."

His chauffeured car was waiting outside for them. He opened the door and motioned for her to go first, before getting in himself.

"Sometimes you're rather tactless for a woman," he said, after telling the driver where to go.

"You're not very tactful yourself," she retorted, propping her elbow on the arm rest on the car door. "But I admit I'm quite blunt most of the time. I think I _learned_ tact. Didn't possess it naturally."

Atobe nodded in agreement. "You were a rather outspoken kid for a girl, I remember."

"Yeah. Some people are born with this innate sense of tact – I think Yumi is one of them – and others like us, need to learn it. Well, I learned anyway. Not so sure about you."

"Is that an insult?"

"What do you think?" she asked. But the spark in her eye told him she was joking. Or half-joking. Maybe.

----------

Oishi thought that if Tezuka was of a different personality, he would be sitting hunched over with his head face-down on the table, saying, "Why me?" Instead, he was straight-backed, silent and looking as he normally did, except for a faintly troubled visage. He wouldn't have blamed Tezuka if he had been banging his head on the table, though. It did sound rather frustrating to be in his shoes at the moment.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I honestly don't know." Tezuka turned the teaspoon in his hand and ran a thumb over the engraved pattern on it. "I don't want to say something and then find out that… That it's Saeki she cares for instead. It could just about kill our friendship." He listlessly stirred the small amount of coffee left at the bottom of his cup. "And I don't know if I could stand it if she stopped talking to me."

The green-eyed medical student leaned forward on the table. "Even if Saeki is getting serious about her, there's nothing solid between them yet besides friendship. You know her just as well as I do – no, probably better than I do. She's not the type to hide these things. If she got together with him, we'd know it. I somehow think Saeki is the same way about relationships. Neither of them would like to slink around and hide it if it was 'official.'"

Tezuka continued to stir the remaining dark liquid.

"I don't need to ask if you love her or not because I know you do." Oishi smiled a little when his friend looked at him. "And because of that, you need to tell her how you feel. Keeping her in the dark about it isn't going to help either of you."

The spoon clinked against the side of the cup as Tezuka let go of it and took to just staring at the coffee instead.

"I _want_ to tell her. But…" He couldn't find the words to say and trailed off.

Oishi waited a few moments and then said, "Tezuka, do you think that at Ohtori's party she preferred to dance with Fuji and Saeki rather than with you?"

Tezuka looked up from his reflection in the coffee.

"I had one dance with her. And I'll tell you this – I think she really wanted to dance with you. Oh, doubtless she enjoyed her turns with Fuji and Saeki. They're her close friends, after all. But… She really would have liked to dance with _you_."

The puzzlement on Tezuka's face changed to something more akin to disbelief.

"I don't really dance," he began.

"I don't think it would have mattered to her. I don't think your sense of balance and direction is that bad either – you wouldn't have stepped on her toes or anything. But that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is: I think that, at the very _least_… She likes you." Oishi sat back, allowing it to sink in. "Rejection is part of the risk. I'm sure you know that. But if you get over this hurdle, you can rest assured that you probably won't have the same problems I had – and still have."

Tezuka saw a bittersweet expression flicker across his friend's face and he remembered how tough it was for Oishi and Miyuki, given her parents' disapproval. Both rarely spoke of it so very few knew the actual reason. But it had the unexpected side effects of bringing out the quiet strength in his long-time friend, and changing him from a rather meek and sometimes unconfident person into someone who was determined to prove himself worthy of the girl he fell in love with.

_Opposition made Oishi stronger_, whispered his conscience. _What will competition do for you?_

----------

"Sorry to have put you through all that," Suzume said, stepping up to her gate. Atobe had come round from his side of the car to hers and shut the car door for her after she got out. She took out a small black remote control and at the press of a button, the automated gate slid open. "But it was for your own good, you know. It wouldn't have been funny if you died or something."

"I thought I was going to die in there anyway," he muttered, drawing a small chuckle from her.

"But you didn't."

Atobe had to agree. He inclined his head a little. "I thank you."

"Hm? What for?"

"For being there."

"Aah. It's nothing. I _had_ to be there to make sure you stayed," she said, with a grin. "But you survived, and you took it well, I think. I congratulate you." She held out her hand to him.

He smiled wryly at her. "Thanks." He took her hand and held it for a second. But instead of shaking it, he raised it to his lips for a brief moment, then let go gently.

Suzume stared as he returned to the car, nodded crisply in goodbye and left. She walked into her house, absently acknowledging the maid that greeted her, and went straight to her study. Closing the door, she looked at the hand he had kissed with a sort of bewilderment. If anyone had been watching her, it would have appeared as though she had never seen the back of her right hand before. She ran the fingers of her other hand lightly over it, wondering at the odd thrill she felt.

----------

Yumi was regarding the draped material on the dress form with a frown when Suzume came in.

"What's wrong?" Suzume asked.

"Something's not right about the way this drapes," she said. She started unpinning the cloth.

Suzume sat down in her chair, put down the papers she had been holding and stretched her arms. "You're rather hyper these days," she commented, observing her friend remove the last pins and hang the cloth over her arm.

"I am?"

"Comparatively."

"Oh." Yumi gazed at the dress form for a few moments, and then began to drape the cloth again.

"Try making the waist wider – as in that belted section there," suggested Suzume.

"Okay."

Suzume watched Yumi pin the material in place for a bit before picking up her pencil and continuing some sketches she had begun the day before. Minutes passed and both women worked in silence until Yumi finished draping.

"Suzu, how's this?" she said, turning the dress form towards Suzume.

"Looks good. What fabric are you thinking of using?"

"Hm… For most of this, probably the cream fabric we just ordered. The belted section here… Not too sure yet. I thought of faux leather."

"Should be okay."

Yumi looked at the dress form again, critically eyeing the draping once more. "Hopefully I can finish this today. I want to be able to enjoy the weekend with a free mind."

"Why? Is Saeki coming again?"

"Saeki?" Yumi turned around. "No. Why? Should he be coming?"

"Just asking. He's been coming to Tokyo fairly regularly of late, so I just thought perhaps he was coming this weekend."

Yumi shrugged. "Not that I know of."

Suzume put down her work and put an elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand. She watched Yumi put the dress form aside and return to her own desk.

"You're not wondering why he's suddenly coming so often compared to before he came for that private coaching stint?"

Dark eyes looked up to meet large grey-green ones. "I've wondered occasionally," said Yumi carefully. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"And? What's your conclusion?"

Pause. Yumi seemed to not know what to say, so Suzume went on, saying, "Has it occurred to you that he's coming – _and_ calling – more often because of you?"

"It has," was the slow answer.

Suzume rolled her chair across the floor to where Yumi's table was and propped her elbow on Yumi's table top instead. "So… What's going on?"

"Nothing!" said Yumi.

"On your side, maybe. But what about his?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm not him," she said a little sarcastically.

"And you don't feel anything _at all_ for Saeki?"

"He's my friend."

Suzume gave her an expectant look, waiting for her to continue. "That's all, Suzu. Saeki is my friend. One of my best friends, along with Syuusuke and Emiko and yourself. But – but that's all."

"Hmmm." Suzume didn't look as though she really believed her. "Fuji-kun aside, this is the guy who has been like your constant comfort lately. You've been friends for years and years, he's a great guy, _and_ he's extremely handsome. And now he's paying you a good deal more attention than he used to. Don't say you don't feel even the tiniest dot of more-than-friendly emotion because I don't buy it."

Yumi closed her eyes and sighed. "Alright, fine. Yes, there _have_ been points where I've felt that. It's... It's flattering, I guess. And nice."

"Flattering indeed," agreed Suzume, nodding. "I would be flattered too, if I was in your place. Actually, if I was in your place, I think I might have started to lose my feelings for Tezuka already."

The uncertainty that clouded Yumi's face disappeared. "That hasn't changed."

Suzume let out a mock sigh. "And here I thought you might finally be truly getting over him."

Yumi smiled dryly. "Occasionally I thought I was. But in the end, I haven't, really." She leaned back in her chair and leaned her head to one side, letting her eyes drift to stare aimlessly at the pictures on the opposite wall.

"Tezuka doesn't know how lucky he is," said Suzume, with a slight shake of the head. She pushed one of Yumi's markers that lay on the table and watched it roll away and stop when it hit a book. "I really don't understand how you can go on when there's an equally great guy in Saeki just waiting in the wings."

Not caring to try explaining something she didn't quite understand herself, Yumi said, "First off, it's not definite that Sae is 'waiting in the wings.'"

"Ah, but –"

"Second, I might say that in the same way I don't understand how it is _you_ have no feelings for Atobe Keigo – or so you say."

The sudden swing in focus stunned Suzume into a few seconds of dumb silence.

"He's a friend," she began, and then stopped, realised she was echoing her friend's earlier words.

"Now, where have I heard that before?" said Yumi, tapping a finger on her chin thoughtfully.

Both women laughed.

"Seriously though, he is," said Suzume.

"Do you have friends proposing to you all the time?"

"No, thank goodness!" exclaimed Suzume, half-laughing.

"But you do know that he's trying really hard, don't you?" Yumi laced her fingers together, elbows on the armrests of her chair.

Suzume looked questioningly at her. "I thought you didn't like him."

"Well, I didn't. He was too arrogant. _Was_. But it seems to me that he's a little nicer now. Haven't you noticed it? He treats other people a little better now, from what I can see. The fact that he went so far as to apologise to Sae, and then to have invited Sae – and even Eiji-kun – to play tennis at his place with the rest of them. Would he have done that before?"

"True… He probably wouldn't have."

"And seeing that all this started right after you told him off and rejected him in that spectacular fashion, it's almost certain that he's doing this for you."

Involuntarily, Suzume's eyes went to her right hand.

"Now, _you_ tell me. Can you really stay completely unaffected by such effort?" Yumi asked.

Suzume had no answer to that.

* * *

Ergh. I was going to put a reference link for the dog here, but then I realised I can't seem to put up URLs. Oh well. Just Google "saluki" and you'll find pics easily enough. 

Anyway... I hope minna-san still thinks the story's good. Thank you for reading! Few more chapters to go... :)


	8. Chapter 8

**DOUBLE STORY**

Aa-ah. I've been so busy. Final year project takes such a toll on one's mind and body... A university student's life isn't easy.

But anyway... Here's Chapter 8 - after looooong consideration and fixes here and there. As DeVelicious (the one who pestered me into writing this) says... "Finally." XD

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Fuji paced the floor. "I'm not keen on this. Maybe I _should_ take leave…"

"Don't be stupid. That's just extreme. I'm sure Yu would say the same. You can always take her out some other day after you're back. Then you two can have a joint February kids' birthday dinner. Besides, this way you can bring back some crabs from Hokkaido for us."

He stopped pacing and glared at the blank space before him, wishing Saeki was there in person. Glares didn't transmit over phone lines.

"You know it's not that I'm worried about. Can't you wait until I'm back?"

"And waste the booking at that restaurant? It was hard enough to get that booking so near Valentine's Day…"

"I'm not joking." Fuji kicked aside a pillow that had somehow fallen off the sofa.

There was a sigh on the other end. "What exactly are you afraid of, Fuji?"

"I don't know." He sat down heavily on the sofa. "Sae…"

"Relax. You don't need to worry. I'm not going to do anything unless I'm sure of myself. You think I'm going to throw away a perfectly good friendship on a whim?"

The thin photographer raised his free hand to massage his forehead. "I know, I know."

Fuji knew it and yet he felt uncomfortable.

The extent to which the whole thing was bothering him became evident to him when the next day at work, it seemed like a good many people noticed his preoccupied air. Even some of the accountants in the auditing firm next door whom he had met a few times noticed it! He had passed two of them on his way back from lunch and exchanged a few words, only to have one say, "Is everything all right? You look worried."

"I'm fine," he had said, feeling like a broken radio after the amount of times he had repeated it that day. "Just got some stuff on my mind. Anyway, I'd better not keep you from work. It was nice seeing you again, Sato-san, Nakamura-san." He bowed slightly to the man and woman before leaving.

By the time Fuji got home, he was thoroughly out of sorts. A rare mood for him, but he was quite fed up with the whole triangle he seemed to be inadvertently stuck in the middle of.

----------

"This is rare – you inviting me out without Atobe along," said Oshitari musingly, as they walked through the mall. "You do remember, of course, that I already have a girlfriend."

"I told Kumiko that I'd be borrowing you today and she said, 'Sure, go ahead!'"

"Nice to know I'm so treasured," mumbled the blue-haired man.

Suzume laughed. "Be a good friend and help me pick something out for my parents. Their wedding anniversary is coming up and I want to get them something really nice."

"Why didn't you just ask Atobe? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to accompany you."

Suzume pretended to be absorbed in a carved clock in a window display and answered as carelessly as she could manage, "Oh, I didn't want to bother him. He's busy these days. Anyway, it's been a while since I last hung out with you."

"Hmm. True, all that you said. But I think that right now, you could ask Atobe to go anywhere, anytime, and he'd go without question."

To Oshitari's great interest, Suzume said nothing, but a pink colour rose in her cheeks at his remark. It was faint and faded fast, but Oshitari was looking for a reaction, and he found it. _Definitely something to tell Kumiko later_, thought Oshitari. Perhaps Atobe was making some sort of progress after all.

Unaware of the blush and Oshitari's amusement, Suzume continued to stare at the clock. She knew that wasn't the whole reason. Truth be told, ever since the day she dragged Atobe to the doctor's, she had begun to feel just a _little_ awkward around him sometimes. Specifically whenever he showed any sign of what he really felt for her. The occasional longing glance, the way he now seemed to be trying to emulate Tezuka in opening doors for her and pulling out chairs for her to sit in...

Takahashi Suzume was no fool. She knew just what this awkwardness could translate to or could become. But she dismissed it for mere pity and assumed that it was just an initial reaction to his altered ways. In any case, she didn't want to dwell on it.

"Are there secret words written on that clock that you are so enchanted by it, Suzume?" queried Oshitari in his smooth Kansai drawl.

She turned to him. "I was just admiring it."

"I see."

"As for Keigo," she said, picking up on their previous subject. "If I keep hanging out with him, he might start thinking that… Well, I don't want him to get the wrong idea." She started walking towards another shop. Oshitari followed, a smirk on his face. He didn't think Suzume would be able to get Atobe to stop just like that.

----------

Yumi walked into the office, noting the proliferation of red, white and pink things all over the place. She smiled at the secretary, Miyu, as she went past her desk.

"Ishida-san's Valentine's gift?" she asked, tapping her finger on the small packet of chocolates wrapped in Miyu's careful, dainty manner.

"Yeah," replied Miyu. "I'll be seeing him for lunch, so I'll give them to him then."

"That's nice. And I see Shizuka has her gift all ready for Komeda," said Yumi, glancing over at another woman's table.

Miyu nodded. "He sent her flowers too."

"Ah. So that's what that bunch of pink on her table is."

"Speaking of flowers…" Miyu jerked her head towards the door to the studio-office Yumi shared with Suzume. "Go take a look."

"He did it again?"

"Just like last year."

When Yumi opened the door, the first thing that caught her attention was the blaze of bright red covering Suzume's table. Then she saw her partner standing by her table, looking a combination of perplexed and exasperated. A downward glance showed her a pot with a single white and purple orchid – Suzume's favourite type – on the floor.

"_Someone_ really went all out this time," said Yumi. "That didn't come last year." She nodded towards the orchid.

"And what does he expect me to do with these?" said Suzume, flinging a hand out over the roses that covered her table, ignoring the potted orchid. Yumi counted two huge bouquets and any amount of red petals scattered over the rest of the table. Some had fallen on the floor too.

"Admire them and then put them in water? After which you can call him to tell him how lovely they are and how much you adore them."

"Not helping."

Yumi laughed.

"How am I supposed to get this carpet of petals off my table without sweeping everything under them off as well?" Suzume said irritably.

"Guess you'll just have to pick them off little by little," said Yumi, putting her things on her own table before going back to Suzume's. "What's that?" she inquired, seeing a box of dark brown leather with gold edging on the table.

Suzume made a frustrated noise. She picked up the box and held it out to Yumi. "Take a look."

Yumi took the box from her and opened it. She stared, blinked, and looked up at Suzume, who was still glaring at the rose petal-covered table.

"Suzu… How expensive is this?"

"Don't know. Probably exorbitant, knowing him."

Yumi gingerly touched the diamond-studded pendant with a finger. The necklace looked too precious, too expensive to touch. White and blue diamonds. And was that a sapphire in the middle? It wasn't just the pendant of the necklace either. The _whole thing_ looked like it was made of diamonds. The clasp looked suspiciously like white gold too, not even silver.

"Are you going to help me clear this table or not?" asked Suzume.

"Yeah, sure." With a last amazed look at the necklace, she closed the box and set it down.

It was a while before they got all the petals off her table and off the floor. The roses in the bouquets were relegated to an extra chair in the room, whereas the orchid was put near the window to get more sunlight.

"No use killing a perfectly good orchid," Yumi had said to Suzume, who didn't seem inclined to do anything about it.

"Whatever," Suzume said, picking up some invoices to look over. "Any plans yourself, Yu?"

Yumi shook her head. "Nope."

"But I'm sure you're full of plans for tomorrow, right? Don't tell me you're going to sit at home on your birthday…"

"Well, there's lunch with you and the rest, and then there's dinner with Sae. By the way, I'm expecting grand presents from the lot of you," joked Yumi.

"Dinner with Sae?" repeated Suzume, as though she hadn't heard anything else.

"Yeah." The dark-haired designer fished out her sketchbook from a drawer and settled down to draw. "Syuusuke was supposed to come too but something came up at the last minute and he can't make it. So he'll be taking me out some other day."

"So it's just you and Saeki?"

A nod answered her.

Suzume let out a meaningful "hmm."

Without looking up from her drawing, Yumi said, "Don't start thinking things, Suzu. You'd waste less time thinking about those roses in the corner there or that necklace than thinking illusions about me and Sae."

She mentioned the flowers on purpose as a distraction, if not a deterrent, for Suzume. She didn't want to hear Suzume talk about herself and Saeki. Thinking about the "possibility" there always made her think of Tezuka and the seeming "impossibility" there.

Yumi's instinct paid off as her friend sank into silence, casting a baleful gaze at the two huge bouquets. For the rest of the day, Suzume ignored the flowers; roses and orchid all. The box with the diamond necklace she put under the roses on the chair. Only before she left the office in the evening did she stop and stare long and hard at the roses.

----------

Tezuka leaned back in his chair and covered his face with the book he had been trying to read. It was no good; he just couldn't concentrate on anything. He had tried doing some work that he brought home, but his mind kept wandering away. He had tried watching television, but everything seemed either inane or unutterably boring. He had tried feeding the fish in the pond, but the fish had all decided that they weren't hungry and had ignored him almost completely. Then he had tried to read a book he had been meaning to finish for a long time, but that obviously wasn't working.

He lowered the book until it was just below his eyes and gazed over the book edge to look at the slender box on the table. The box had been sitting in that corner dutifully collecting dust for some months now. Rather, it would have collected dust – if he hadn't dusted it every few days. He could have put it into a drawer, but somehow… He didn't want to.

And it was the person that box was meant for that kept distracting him now.

Today she turned twenty-five. He'd known her for over ten years already. In middle school, he would never have thought that he would fall in love with Fuji's quiet (and equally clever) friend. He hadn't even thought of the possibility in high school. But something changed in years after that. He didn't know exactly when, but by the time he had even an inkling of it, he was already fathoms deep in love. He felt like a tremendous idiot for being so slow to come to full realisation of it. And he felt like an even bigger fool for not speaking up after he'd come to that conclusion.

And now she was having a birthday dinner with Saeki.

He laughed – a short, dry laugh. Perhaps there was a bitter note to the laugh. He wasn't sure and he didn't care. He was alone in his room and no one would have heard it.

It could well have been him she was dining with. But it wasn't him. It. Wasn't. Him. Instead, it was the third member of the cunning trio, the cheerful and annoyingly handsome – _Oh, now he's __**annoyingly **__handsome, is he_, mocked the voice in his head – Saeki Kojirou.

Saeki Kojirou. Tezuka Kunimitsu's rival. Who'd have thought it? A distinctly wretched feeling welled up inside him. He let go of the book. It slid down his face and fell into his lap. He took off his glasses and covered his eyes with one arm. His heart ached, but there was nothing he could do about it at that point.

----------

"How's the food?" Saeki asked.

"Delicious as always," said Yumi, poking her fork into her food again. "I have the most superb best friends – you all know how to spoil me with my favourite foods, you and Syuusuke and Emiko and Suzume. You always manage to pick the places I like best"

"It's not very hard, actually. You're so picky there aren't many places you really like."

"True, true. So thank me for making your lives easier," she said with a laugh.

Saeki grinned. "So where's Fuji going to take you? Has he told you yet?"

Yumi shook her head. "Not yet. But we'll probably go out this weekend when he's done with work."

"Ah." Saeki let a few moments of silence pass before he ventured, "What about Tezuka?"

"What about him?"

"Is he taking you out too?"

"Not that I know of," she answered – a little too quickly and a little too cheerfully. "He called me this morning to say happy birthday and we talked a while. Said something about maybe treating me sometime… But we didn't decide anything. So… I don't know. Doesn't matter. It was nice of him to call anyway."

"At least he called," said Saeki, turning to glance at her a moment and send her a reassuring smile. "Better than nothing. Means he remembered."

She smiled wryly. "True."

Saeki pushed his plate away slightly so he could place his elbows on the table. "Tell me something, Yu. Why is it you don't seem to think that he cares for you?"

Caught by surprise, she stared at him for a few seconds before lowering her eyes to the table. She put down her knife and fork and ran a hand through her hair, sighing.

"He hasn't said anything to me."

"But he shows it, doesn't he?"

"Oh, really?" She gave him a sceptical look. "I don't see how."

"You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not."

He put two fingers to either side of his head and massaged his temples a little. "Yu… _Hime_…" It took him a second to gather his thoughts. "This is the most striking example I can think of at the moment. When you had to postpone a movie outing with him to help take over babysitting chores from your sister, _he actually offered to accompany you_. Give up a whole day – or even half a day – to technically help take care of kids? Guys wouldn't normally do that. Fuji or I might do it for you, but that's because we're so close that we're practically siblings, we three.

"He also likes your company – otherwise he wouldn't hang out with you so often. And he actually _talks_ around you. Well, he does talk a lot more now than he did at fourteen or fifteen, but he still talks relatively less than most –"

One part of his mind poked at him a little. _Why in the world are you pushing her towards Tezuka? Isn't he your competition now? _

_He's not, _replied another part._ I'm not his competitor either. Never was. There's nothing to compete for when she's already decided who she wants. Besides, first and foremost I'm her friend and as a friend, I'm bound to help her out. Right now that means trying to shake her out of her insecurity._

"Talks less than you, definitely," said Yumi.

"Less than me," agreed Saeki. "And less than Fuji. Anyway, he's comfortable around you, that's obvious. He seems to trust you too. Remember when his grandfather passed away a few years back? I recall that you were the first of his friends to know it. And from what Fuji told me, you knew – even when everyone else didn't seem to know – just how deeply he felt the loss."

"Oishi knew."

"Okay, you and Oishi knew then," he conceded. "Oishi should know, being one of his oldest friends. But still, _you_ knew. To me, that just shows that you know him better than you think and that there's a closer bond between you than you imagine." He raised his hands, palms outwards in a placating gesture, seeing that she was about to protest again. "I meant _friendship_, Yu."

"So we're close friends. I'd acknowledge as much," said Yumi. "But that doesn't mean there's anything more. I… I'm not the attractive type – you know that!" She folded her arms and looked at her glass on the table.

"You're not a conventional beauty. So what?" He leaned forward a little. "I think you're great as you are. Fuji thinks so too."

"You two say that because you're my friends."

Not to be deterred, he went on, "Bane thinks you're not bad-looking. _Bane_. Hard-to-please Kurobane Harukaze thinks that you're not bad-looking. I'd say that's a fair compliment from the guy who wouldn't call even Suzume-san gorgeous. He just says she's 'pretty.' I've no idea how that guy's going to ever find a wife with those impossible standards of his..."

"Has he seen Suzume before?" Yumi asked, trying to think if she had ever introduced Suzume to Saeki's friend.

"In photos. There's a couple of pics I have with you and Suzume-san from Ohtori's party in December."

"Oh."

"Back to the topic. I don't think Tezuka counts looks as an important criteria. He's not as picky as Bane in that department, I should think."

"Looks are looks, but you can't ignore the 'attraction' factor," countered Yumi.

"Attraction?" Saeki felt like smacking his forehead. "My dear Yumi… I _know_ how men look at women they're attracted to. After all, I'm a guy myself. _I_ think he has the look of a man who is more than just 'attracted' to a woman."

Her unconvinced expression became tinged with a hesitant hope, but not much. Saeki sighed inwardly. He'd guessed as much that nothing would convince her short of Tezuka telling her himself. But he smiled anyway and just said, "I do wish you'd stop being so hard on yourself, _Hime_. You're really not as bad or as plain as you think you are."

She smiled – just a little. "Thanks, Sae."

----------

Having been shown into the living room where Suzume was, Atobe dispensed with the formalities and got straight to the point.

"I need some help. Go out with me next week."

She arched her well-shaped eyebrows at him. "You know, it's considered common courtesy to greet someone when you meet them. Sit down." She gestured to a chair. "And why? What sort of help would that be?"

"An excuse," he replied, dropping into the nearest armchair. "My parents are trying to get me to attend an _omiai_."

"Formulate some other excuse. Like a business meeting or something."

"My father still runs the company. You think he wouldn't know if I had a meeting or not?" Atobe said, looking at her as if he couldn't believe what a stupid question that was.

"Go out with Yuushi or someone else."

"He just told me to ask _you_."

_You're dead, Yuushi_, she thought darkly. "Why can't you just say no?"

"I did. But my mother's insisting that if I don't have anything to do, I should go. By 'anything to do' I think she means seeing some other woman. You know how she can be…"

"Who do they want you to meet?"

"Masuda Shiori."

"Hmm… Good choice. I've met them once. I remember Shiori-san was really sweet. And her parents run some import-export thing – I forget what – don't they? That'd fit nicely with your family's businesses."

"I didn't come here to hear you say that I should go," he interrupted, irritated.

"Then? You should know better than to think I'd agree."

"Perhaps I thought that as a _friend_ you might be willing to help!" snapped Atobe, standing.

"_Because_ I'm your friend I'm telling you that you should go!" Suzume felt her temper rising. "The Masudas are nice people and Shiori is a nice girl. Who knows – you might actually _like_ her if you bothered to at least try meeting her once!"

"I don't want to like her!"

"Oh, grow up!" She stood up and faced him, glad that she was tall enough to not have to tilt her head to look right at him. It would have been rather difficult to lecture someone you had to literally look up to. "There's nothing wrong in just meeting her. You've had girlfriends before – goodness knows how many – so why are you unwilling to even meet Shiori-san? Be sensible."

"What about you?" he shot back. "If I tell you to meet one of those guys your aunts are always trying to set you up with, would you?"

"I might – just to get them off my case!"

"Yeah, right."

She rolled her eyes. "This is stupid –"

"For crying out loud, Suzume! I've told you that I love you, I send you gifts for Valentine's Day _and_ White Day, I do my best to do whatever you say and I've proposed to you I don't know how many times before –"

"Twice at least," she muttered, hoping that this wasn't going to become the third instance.

"– And yet you can still tell me to go for an _omiai_ and meet someone else! Do you not get it?"

Suzume returned his infuriated gaze with a hard look of her own, trying not to yell back at him. "I get it. But _you_ seem to be the one who doesn't 'get it.' I never asked for gifts! And I – I don't love you like that. That's why I'm telling you to go for this _omiai_. If you like Masuda Shiori then maybe you can start getting over me already."

He glared at her for another moment, but if he was stubborn, then she was even more so. The hard mask on her face didn't falter in the slightest.

"What do I have to do to make you love me?"

The question came so suddenly that the hard expression on her face vanished, replaced by a stunned look, and then a blank one. But she said nothing, instead averting her eyes to the painting on the wall. Even so, she could feel his angry gaze on her.

A thick silence hung in the air for some moments.

"Fine." Atobe strode towards the door and opened it. "I'll go, but I'm not going to marry her." He didn't look back at Suzume. "I won't marry anyone except you. Remember that."

With that he was gone and the door clicked shut behind him.

----------

"We could have walked or taken the bus, you know," said Yumi.

"What, let you walk in the cold night on your birthday? You must have a low opinion of me if you think I'd do that," said Saeki.

"And you must have a low opinion of _me_ if you think I'd object to it. You really didn't need to rent a car just for the evening."

"What sort of friend would I be if I did anything less? Besides, Fuji's going to pay for half of this," he said, tapping the steering wheel with one hand. _He just doesn't know it yet_.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It's his fine for going off to work and leaving us like this," joked Saeki. "Come to think of it, maybe I should make him pay the whole rental fee."

She laughed. "That, I leave to you to handle. In any case, it's a pity he couldn't come tonight."

"It's good for you, though. You get _two_ free meals – one from me and one from Fuji. Has he said where he'll take you?"

Yumi frowned a little. "Didn't you just ask me that during dinner?"

"Oh? Hmm… So I did. Sorry, forgot."

"Getting old, are you?"

"Only as old as you are," he responded with a grin.

Saeki turned into the road that led to Yumi's home. As they neared her house, he spotted a vaguely familiar car parked a little way in front of her gate. Then he saw a very familiar figure leaning against the side of the car, staring up at the sky – or maybe at the telephone wires; he couldn't tell.

_Well, well,_ thought Saeki. He looked at Yumi. She was digging in her bag for her keys and didn't seem to have noticed anything.

"_Hime_-san."

"Hm?"

He took one hand off the steering wheel, tucked a finger under her chin and jerked her face towards the front. "Your prince is here."

Her eyes widened. "What –?"

"I wonder what he's doing here," said Saeki in a sing-song voice, slowing the car to stop at her gate.

Yumi cast him a dry look. "You're as bad as Suzu. Don't start imagining weird things."

"Who, me?" he said, giving her an innocent gaze. "But really, what do you think he's there for?"

"I don't know. I hope nothing's wrong."

The car stopped right in front of her gate. Saeki said, "Better go see what's up then. But don't stand outside talking too long. It's cold out there."

"Now you sound like my parents," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Thanks for tonight, Sae. I enjoyed myself."

"Glad to be of service, _Hime_."

"I'd tell you and Syuu to stop calling me that, but I like the term too much." She leaned over and gave him a sidelong hug. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome. Now, shoo! Don't keep him waiting."

----------

Tezuka turned when the car drove up to her gate. It was a little hard to see who was in the car because of the glare of the headlights, but he knew it had to be them. A couple of seconds later, Yumi got out of the car. She waved at Saeki as he drove off.

"Tezuka!" She jogged a few steps to him. "What are you doing here? Were you waiting for me?"

He nodded.

"Geez, why did you? Did something happen? And it's so cold tonight too! Couldn't it have waited until tomorrow?" Yumi shook her head. "Come inside where it's warmer and we'll talk."

Tezuka stopped her before she opened the gate. "It's okay. This'll just take a moment."

"Oh?" She let the key ring slide onto her index finger, the keys clinking together as she did so. "What's up? Just come to bring me my birthday present?" she said, jokingly.

"As a matter of fact, yes." He opened the car door and took out a thin box, which he handed to her. "I wanted to give it to you before the day was over."

"Aw, that's so nice of you!" said Yumi, accepting it. "Thank you." She looked at the box and gave it a slight jiggle. Something rustled inside. "Sounds interesting. Can I open it now?"

"If you like."

She pried off the wrapping paper. Inside was a plain red box with a grey line – maybe it was silver, a bit hard to tell in the lamplight – running across its length. She opened it and gave a small gasp.

There lay a silver necklace with a beautiful pendant of curved pattern and a single small semiprecious citrine stone in the middle. It was a necklace that she had once seen some time ago while out shopping with Suzume and Tezuka. Unable to decide at that time if she wanted to get it because it had been rather expensive, she had left first. But when she came back the following week after deciding to buy it after all, it had already been sold.

"Tezuka, you…" Yumi stared at it a moment longer, then looked up at him. "I don't know what to say… _Thank_ you!" She put her keys into her bag and then took up the necklace from the box, fingering it gently, and observing it with a look of awe mixed with surprise. "This is too much," she said, resting the pendant in the palm of her hand, before returning it almost reverently to the box. "You're a really good friend…"

"I didn't do it _just_ because of friendship," he said suddenly.

"Hm?" She lifted her eyes from the necklace to his face. And found herself riveted to the spot again by his gaze.

"I did it because… Because I'm in love with you."

For a second, all she could do was stare back at him in shock. Then she looked down at the box in her hand, blinking almost disbelievingly.

He stood very still. The silence – hers and their surroundings' silence – seemed to heighten his tension. Either his whole world was going to come crashing down around him or heaven would come temporarily to earth. He didn't know which to expect. He didn't dare to expect anything. He hadn't really planned to say that.

She raised her head once more. She didn't say a word, but the look in her eyes, on her face, was all the answer he needed. He pulled her into his arms and held her so tightly he was half afraid he would crush her.

_So warm…_Yumi felt like she could cry; she was so happy. He was holding her close, like he never wanted to let go. She felt the slight pressure of his cheek resting against her hair. She loved this closeness. And she loved _him_. She wondered if midnight had passed yet or if this was the most marvellous birthday gift so far in her life.

Tezuka had no idea how long they stood that way, but he didn't care. She was there in his embrace, and she loved him too. That was all that mattered. A few more seconds ticked by, and then he slowly loosened his hold, but didn't let go of her entirely.

He withdrew, but kept his face close to hers, just centimetres apart. "I love you," he whispered again, feeling like he could never say it enough. "I'm sorry – I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before."

Yumi found her voice at last and shook her head slightly. "It's okay," she said, her voice barely a whisper. He ran the back of his fingers down her cheek in a gentle caress, his eyes speaking the volumes words could not.

And then he was kissing her. Soft. Tender. A little uncertain in action, but definitely not in feeling.

She felt like she was floating. Everything was forgotten as she let herself be lost in the warmth that coursed through her and in the feeling of his lips on hers.

When they finally broke apart – from the kiss and from each other's arms – he looked almost regretful and seemed loath to even just let go of her hand. But he did anyway.

"I – I should go," she said, gesturing in the direction of her gate. Or at least what she hoped was the direction of her gate. She had a feeling she had waved towards the fire hydrant instead. All of a sudden she felt a little embarrassed and overwhelmed.

He nodded slowly. "It's late," he agreed.

She managed a "good night" and turned to her home, but he stopped her with a hand under her chin. He kissed her cheek gently and said in a low voice, "I'll see you tomorrow." Slightly trembling fingers lingered a moment longer on her face, and then he left with the air of one who knew that if he didn't leave then, he never would.

* * *

_Tsukareta..._

Did you like it? I hope so

Next time I update, it'll be two chapters at one go. So... Wait for it, minna-sama! )


	9. Chapter 9

**DOUBLE STORY**

**Chapter 9**

I'm _so_ sorry to have kept you all waiting! Honto ni sumimasen deshita!  
I actually had this more or less written when I posted chapter 8, but wanted to refine it and finish the epilogue as well so it had to wait. It was also near my final presentation and exams so I was extremely stressed out. (I'm done with uni now! Yay. Well, until and unless I take up Masters, that is. eheh.) 

This chapter may seem a little rushed, but... Oh well. Just read. I'll explain more at the end. )

* * *

Suzume sat in one of the chairs on the veranda, staring out into the garden, trying not to feel so exasperated. Why was it always so tiring to deal with Atobe at times like that? She drummed the fingers of her left hand on the armrest of the chair. Why did she have to be the one to deal with him anyway?

All the same, she had a suspicion that her somewhat accelerated heart rate had less to do with exasperation or frustration than with what he had said before leaving and the grim determination in tone when he had said it.

Her hand phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. _Yuushi. Hmph. Do I ever have something to say to you now… _She answered the call. "Yes, troublemaker?"

She thought she heard him snicker.

"Well… I was going to ask if you and Atobe had a row of sort some, but judging from that greeting, I don't need to ask anymore," Oshitari said. "He called me a while ago and starting ranting about something or other – I don't really know what. He wasn't exactly making sense. I'm not sure if he was mad at me or at someone else," he added in a wondering tone that said he wasn't wondering at all.

"He was probably mad at you," she said, though she really thought that it was likely a combination of both. "You're practically asking for it. Matter of fact, _I'm_ mad at you too. What were you thinking?"

He chuckled. "I just thought you might be of more help than I would be."

She could practically see the glint in his eyes when he said that.

----------

Tezuka felt in his pockets for his hand phone. It wasn't there. He looked around his car. It wasn't there either. Then he remembered that he'd left it in his room.

On entering his room, he found it exactly where he had left it. Dropped it, actually. It lay on the floor, still open, but in screensaver mode now.

He picked it up and pressed a button to deactivate the screensaver. Fuji's earlier message flashed back onto the screen and he smiled, the events of the night coming back to him. He felt like the past hour or so had been like a sort of hazy dream.

He had been trying to read again in an attempt to forget the ache inside him. Then a message had come from Fuji. Short and sharp, it read: _I'm only saying this once. She's not in love with him. Get that through your thick head_.

It had taken him a few seconds to process what that implied, but he vaguely recalled dropping the phone after that and almost without thinking, had grabbed the box from his table and dashed out. He had gone to Yumi's without really intending to do anything other than give it to her and maybe see for himself if she could possibly care… But as it had happened, he had said more than he meant to – the words escaped him before he quite knew what he was doing.

Then he remembered the look on her face. The surprise and shock, followed by an expression he couldn't even begin to describe except that it had made him – for that moment at least – happier than anyone in the world.

Subconsciously, he raised his hand to his mouth. Now _that_ part he remembered perfectly well. He could feel it still – the firework-like explosion of the senses when his lips touched hers. He hadn't expected that. Then again, he hadn't known what to expect. All at once it had been strange, sweet, wonderful and overwhelming.

Looking out the window at the crescent moon and few visible stars in the sky, he felt like he suddenly understood what all those songwriters were thinking about when they penned love songs that sang about flying to the moon, starry nights and the like.

----------

The bright white spotlights flared to life over the tennis courts. Atobe strode across to stand in the middle of one side, racquet in hand. He hadn't bothered to change his clothes, and so was still in his shirt and slacks. The servant carrying the basket of tennis balls set it down on the ground near him.

"Is there anything else, Keigo–bocchama?"

"No." He flicked a hand in dismissal. "You may go. Thank you."

He picked up a ball and bounced it several times on the ground. He flung it into the air and with all his might, sent it flying over the net. He didn't care that it didn't hit the ground, but shot straight through the air and into the fencing. He just wanted a vent for the pent-up energy inside him.

Half an hour later, he sat down heavily on the court, breathing hard, and dropped his racquet. He wiped his face with a shirtsleeve. It sure did sting when sweat got into his eyes.

Fed up. That's what he was. Just plain fed up. He had tried everything he knew – short of making her Empress of Japan, which he couldn't do and probably wouldn't have worked anyhow – and _still_ she was stubborn as a mule and as unfeeling as… As… He didn't know what.

The exercise had taken much of the fury out of him, though. At least now he didn't feel like he was going to explode from frustration and annoyance.

But he still wondered uncomfortably: _Had_ he been such a jerk in the past as to have put her off so entirely? So much as to be irredeemable?

----------

"You look tired, Suzume-san," the secretary observed, as she passed some letters to Suzume.

"Ah. Just had a long night. Stuff came up," said Suzume. She had spent quite a while berating Oshitari for being an interfering pest. The most irritating part was that he didn't seem penitent at all, even after her scolding. "I'll be okay."

At that point, Yumi sailed into the studio with a pleasant, "_Ohayo_!"

Suzume was by no means too preoccupied to fail to notice Yumi's brighter-than-usual tone of voice and oddly serene expression.

"Something good happen?" she queried. She didn't really expect anything big, knowing Yumi's mood swings at times. It could just be due to a sudden rush of fantastic inspiration for a new line or something of the sort. "By the way, is that a new necklace? I feel like I've seen it before…"

Yumi stopped walking, looked at her a moment and then turned and said to Miyu, "She'll be right back." Then she proceeded to drag a bewildered Suzume into their room.

Miyu stared at the closed door for a moment. _I wonder what that was about_. She shrugged to herself and continued sorting the letters.

Some minutes later, a loud exclamation – almost an excited squeal – from the direction of her bosses' office startled her out of her work.

"What in the world…?"

----------

Suzume clamped her hands over her mouth after her initial shriek. She looked at Yumi, who sat with remarkable calm in her chair, a smile half-hidden behind intertwined fingers.

"How can you just sit there like that?" demanded Suzume. "If I were you, I'd barely be able to sit still!"

Yumi just chuckled and smiled back at her. "I had the whole night to jump and dance around or do whatever I wanted to, Suzu."

"Whatever. You _still_ shouldn't be able to just – just sit there grinning at me!" Suzume fell back into her seat. "I can hardly believe it. So he finally said it… Talk about sudden." She spun her chair round slowly, as if it would help the shock subside.

Yumi watched her, delighting in her friend's reaction. It _was_ funny. But the others would certainly be asking about that shriek of hers later.

Suzume's chair stopped spinning. There was still a rather stunned expression on her face. Yumi felt like laughing once more.

"At least I'll have a happy partner again," said Suzume. "You've been down in the dumps for far too long, my dear."

"Have I?"

"Yeah. It doesn't always show, since you did a pretty good job of hiding it most times. But I always thought that deep inside, you were always somewhat sad about it and annoyed with yourself because you couldn't stop caring."

Yumi had to acknowledge the truth of that.

"I'll bet now you're glad you didn't stop," Suzume said.

"Probably."

"_Probably_? If I had a pillow here, I'd throw it at you."

"I'm kidding!" laughed Yumi, toying with a pencil.

"So what else happened?" asked Suzume. Now that she'd recovered from the shock, her feminine inquisitiveness bubbled up to the surface.

"Not much else," the other said, twirling the pencil with the fingers of one hand.

"Did he kiss you?"

There was a wobble in the twirl of the pencil and a lovely rose colour spread across Yumi's cheeks, all too obvious on her fair skin.

"He _did_!" exclaimed Suzume triumphantly. She pulled her chair closer to Yumi, who seemed unable to look at her all of a sudden. "So?" she asked, eyes dancing with interest.

"So what?" said Yumi, looking at the table top. She rested her head in one hand, fingers curling up to cover part of her face. The other hand turned the pencil upside down to tap it on the table.

"How did your first kiss feel?"

Yumi was at a loss as to how to answer her, but Suzume just laughed and gave her a hug.

"Sorry, I'm just teasing you. Couldn't resist. I know you're not the type to talk about things like that."

She got a look from Yumi, who said in a mock-accusing tone, "Evil."

Suzume grinned. "So are you meeting him today?"

"Yeah, I suppose. He said he'd see me tomorrow – I mean, 'today.'"

"When?"

Yumi opened her mouth to answer, but paused for a moment and then closed it again. She looked at Suzume. "You know, I have no idea."

----------

It occurred to Tezuka towards the end of a meeting that he hadn't told Yumi exactly _when_ he'd see her. As far as he could remember, he had only said, "I'll see you tomorrow" and left it at that.

_Oops. _

----------

Tezuka arrived right on time, having arranged through several text messages to meet her for lunch, and found both designers fussing over a window display with a couple of their staff. When Yumi turned and saw him, the look on her face was enough to tell him that the night before really hadn't been some sort of hyper-real dream.

While she ran up to her office-studio to grab her handbag, he waited below with Suzume, who, by the look of her, had already heard all about it.

"I only have one thing to ask you, Tezuka," she said.

He waited for her question.

"What took you so long?"

Tezuka thought for a moment. "I don't know. Stupidity, perhaps."

Suzume chortled. "So you _do_ realise you were stupid before," she said jokingly.

His smile widened a little in amusement. "I probably was."

Yumi came back then and the two of them went off for lunch. Suzume watched them go, thinking that it was definitely a change to see Tezuka look at Yumi with such frank affection. It was the same the other way around too. Yumi, the expert at constructing facades to hide that particular emotion, seemed to have suddenly found a new facial expression that was relaxed, glad and serene all at once. Anyhow, she was happy for them both. She made a mental note to next start teasing Yumi about a wedding date, though she figured it would probably be some time before _that_ happened, since neither of them looked like they were in much of a rush.

Thinking about weddings and engagements sent her mind back to the previous night. She sighed as she made her way back up the stairs. She'd forgotten about it in the thrill of Yumi's news, but now she remembered all the headache Oshitari and Atobe had produced for her. As for Atobe's _omiai_, she was neither interested nor disinterested in it. "Apathetic" was the word. She felt strangely uncaring about the whole thing. It really didn't bother her at all in any way.

_Because he already said loud and clear that he won't marry Masuda Shiori and he'd only marry you?_

The subconscious thought took her aback. _No_, she told herself. She really did want him to go for the _omiai_. And she truly hoped that he'd get over her. She did. It was best for him after all, since she didn't care for him that way. Really.

Yet when Oshitari told her that she could ask Atobe to "go anywhere, anytime, and he'd go," there had been an unexpected flutter of emotion that even now she couldn't decide if that was her just feeling flattered or – or something else.

"Suzume-san, do you want to join us for lunch?" asked Miyu. "I'm going with Erika and Nakata to that new sushi place down the road."

"Hm? Oh, sure! Are you going now?"

"In about ten minutes. Waiting for Nakata."

"Let me know when you're going," said Suzume, entering her room.

The roses Atobe had sent were drying upside down on a hook in the wall. The picture frame that formerly hung there was propped up on top of a low cupboard. Suzume guessed Yumi must have put the roses there after she had left the office. She hadn't noticed them there before somehow. Yumi should have just thrown them away. Why leave them there?

_Throw them away yourself then._ _They're not Yumi's to dispose of – they were for you._

Well, Yumi knew what she thought of the gift. She should know that Suzume wouldn't care if they were in the rubbish bin or in a vase.

_Doesn't matter then. You can throw them away now. You threw away last year's._

She sat down at her table and turned on her laptop, meaning to check her e-mail.

_You took the orchid home_, taunted her mind. _And the necklace._

But she couldn't very well have left something worth possibly millions of yen in the office.

_Why didn't you send it back to him?_

She didn't know. She placed her hand on the external mouse to move the cursor, but realised that she couldn't remember what had wanted to do on her laptop in the first place.

----------

Atobe ended the call and put down his hand phone. There. He'd done it. He'd agreed to that stupid _omiai_ with the Masudas. He sank backwards into the soft leather of his chair. Meet with them he would. Let it not be said that Atobe Keigo went back on his word. He'd meet them. He'd meet this Masuda Shiori. But only because Suzume told him to.

She may have told him to attend the _omiai_, but she didn't – and couldn't – tell him to love Masuda Shiori. And he wouldn't. Even if she had ordered him to, he still wouldn't. That was one thing in which he could not possibly do as she wished.

----------

"Have you heard?"

Fuji nodded, holding his phone with one hand and adjusting the zoom on his camera with the other. "Yeah. She called me this morning." He straightened, wondering if he should ask one particular question that had been on his mind since he heard from Yumi.

"Aah, yeah. She called me too," said Saeki.

"You haven't drunk all the coffee in my apartment, have you?"

"Nah. I left you enough for a cupful."

"Next time I'm going to lock my coffee in a safe where you can't get to it."

"Is that how you treat a friend?" Saeki asked, sounding hurt.

"Only the ones who drink all my coffee," Fuji answered, looking through the camera viewfinder to check the composition. The horizon line seemed a little tilted. He glanced at the tripod to make sure it was level on the ground.

Saeki chuckled.

"Are you still in Tokyo? Or back in Chiba?" said Fuji.

"I'm at the station already. Can't you hear the noise in the background?"

Fuji paused, then decided to ask, "You sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, Fuji. In perfectly good spirits. Yu is happy and I'm happy for her."

"Really," he said, sounding a little doubtful.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little miffed. We're not her best guy pals anymore. We've been officially displaced now."

"Always the joker..."

"That I am. But it's true, isn't it?" he laughed. "Tezuka's the number one man now. Not us."

"Does it bother you a lot?"

"Mm… A little, I guess. But probably not as much as it'll bother me when _you_ get a girlfriend."

"… It sounds really weird when you say it like that."

"What, don't you feel the same way, Fuji?"

Fuji placed his finger on the silver button, checked the viewfinder once more, and then pushed the button on the camera. "Keep up the gay act and no more freeloading at my place next time you come to visit. You can go freeload at Yu's. Come to think of it, that's a good idea. You can drink all the coffee at _her_ place instead."

"And risk Tezuka Kunimitsu getting jealous again or angry with me? Not likely! I've never seen him angry, and I don't think I want to. From experience with the _hime_ herself, the quieter they are, the more terrifying it tends to be when you cross them. (It's going to be hell if those two ever get mad at each other.) Besides, I don't think her dad and sister would like it if I drank all their coffee."

"Coffee addict."

"Worrier."

"That's Oishi's nickname, not mine."

"Well, you were acting a bit like him."

"It's your fault," Fuji said, picking up the tripod and camera carefully before moving them to a different spot for another angle.

"My fault?" said Saeki, innocently. "Ah, train's here. Catch you another time, Fuji. _Ja._"

Tucking the phone back into his pocket, Fuji had a feeling that Saeki would be all right. He smiled. At least he wouldn't be having any headaches over his three friends anymore.

He wondered if Tezuka's actions were largely or only slightly influenced by his text message, which had been a last-gasp attempt at making Tezuka aware and motivated enough to do something – anything – before he washed his hands of the whole affair. Either way, that message had produced most unexpectedly immediate and satisfying results.

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he bent to peer through the viewfinder once more.

----------

Yumi marvelled that it all seemed so normal. And yet not normal. They were having lunch together, talking about the usual things, laughing over jokes. That was all the same. But the way he looked at her, the now-constant small smile on his face and the mere knowledge of reciprocated feelings made the world of difference.

Just then, she looked at him and caught a glimpse of gentle tenderness that made her face warm rapidly. She hoped she wasn't blushing again. Suzume had kidded her about way she'd turned pink when asked about the kiss.

"You look adorable when you're embarrassed that way," Suzume had laughed. Then she had added, poking Yumi's cheek playfully even as Yumi made a face at her, "I bet if Tezuka saw you now, he'd agree with me. But then he probably thinks you're gorgeous anyway."

Suzume may have thought it cute, but Yumi herself didn't think so. She found blushing a really awkward thing most of the time and would rather her embarrassment didn't show that easily.

Even so, that same rose-pink flush tinted her cheeks again. Tezuka proved Suzume right by thinking that Yumi looked rather endearing that way – and beautiful, even if everyone else didn't think so, in which case he thought everyone else was probably blind or going blind.

He decided not to say anything about it, figuring that she would feel even more discomfited if he pointed it out. Instead he said mildly, "What time do you get off work today?"

"Uh, about six, I think, since we don't have any particular shoot or meeting." She shifted in her chair, the blush fading as fast as it had come. "Why – do you want to see me again?" she joked.

"Yes," he replied bluntly. Seeing her eyes widen for a second, he asked with a smile, "Is that wrong?"

"N-no. I just – I'm not used to it yet," she said, drawing random curly patterns next to her plate on the chequered tablecloth with her finger.

Tezuka rested his chin in his hand and looked at her with a more sombre expression. "Does it bother you?"

She looked taken aback. "Huh? No! I didn't mean that…"

"It looks like it does."

"It doesn't. I may not be used to this type of thing yet, but – that doesn't mean I don't like it," Yumi said, glancing away, feeling a little embarrassed.

He watched her for a few seconds, until her eyes flicked back to meet his.

"Then… Will you meet me again later, Yumi?"

She felt a flash of warmth rise and fade when he said her name.

"If you're not comfortable with it, don't force yourself," he added hurriedly.

A smile touched her lips. "I didn't say I wouldn't or don't want to."

He gave her a questioning look. "And that means?"

"In this case, that means yes, I'll see you tonight."

----------

Winter disappeared to be replaced by spring, and spring turned into summer. For Tezuka, the days seemed to drift by in a pleasant, vague and yet very real dream of work, friends and _her_. He quickly discovered that he thoroughly enjoyed compensating for all the 'wasted' years. He had passed a florist on his way to lunch with some colleagues one day, and on impulse decided to send her a rose for no reason other than that he had felt like it. The delight with which she had reacted to the unexpected gift spurred him to try it again, and he soon fell into a habit of sending or leaving her little things out of the blue. Sometimes it was as simple as a flower or a handwritten note (or both). Occasionally it was gifts like her favourite buns – sent still warm from the bakery – or chocolate or an old class photo from high school that he had found. He did it fairly often, but irregularly enough so Yumi never quite knew when he would do it and was usually all the more surprised by it.

For Atobe, however, the days dragged on. He avoided Suzume until after the _omiai_ with the Masudas, at which he had been polite and as affable as he could possibly be under the circumstances. Masuda Shiori was, as Suzume had said, a nice person, but though he found her congenial and good-humoured, he still declined the marriage. It was a relief that she did not kick up a fuss about it, but took it easily enough (which made him suspect that she didn't want to marry him either – that piqued him a little). When he finally saw Suzume again, he felt a combination of irritation and longing. Irritation that she didn't seem any worse for not having seen or talked to him for several weeks, and longing because she looked twice as beautiful as before to his eyes. He half-wished that Masuda Shiori _had_ made a huge fuss about him not marrying him – perhaps that would have shown Suzume that he was worth something.

Atobe's mood didn't improve at all when he found out that Tezuka was already 'together' with Yumi. Something of the old rivalry bubbled up, and his aggravation doubled at the thought of Tezuka "achieving his goal" faster than he did. And yet he found distinct relief in the company of this old tennis rival, who knew of his miserable situation, said little, listened a good deal and even appeared to be somewhat sympathetic. (Unlike Oshitari, who knew of it, listened, but talked too much for Atobe's liking and sometimes didn't seem very sympathetic at all, being rather caught up in his own girlfriend.)

He took to playing tennis more often than ever since it gave him a safe vent for emotions he couldn't get rid of easily, and since Oshitari insisted on being exasperating, he played more often with his colleagues, or with Tezuka and Yukimura.

It was on one such day near the end of July that he was at the country club with Tezuka, resting in the garden café after several rounds of exhilarating and exhausting tennis. Tossing his face towel over his shoulder, he said, "I need a favour."

"And what would that be?"

Atobe picked up the glass of cold water brought by a waiter and took a liberal gulp of the liquid before answering him. "I'm going to Germany for a while. A few months, maybe."

"Okay." Tezuka wasn't sure what Atobe going to Germany had to do with him, so he simply waited for him to go on.

"I…" Atobe didn't know how to phrase the request. Even with months of practice 'being nice,' he still found it difficult at times to humble himself to ask for help or favours. "I need you to watch Suzume for me – if you can."

Slightly raised eyebrows were the only indication of Tezuka's surprise.

"I don't really know how long I'll be gone," said Atobe, brushing back damp silver bangs from his face. "It could be anything from four to eight months. Hasn't been decided yet." He wiped his face with the towel again, and then dropped it onto the table. "I know you've just got together with Hanazawa and I know you two would want to spend more time together, but – if you can – watch her for me. I mean… Just keep an eye on her. Make sure she's okay and all. I'd ask Oshitari, but I have a feeling that idiot would just lord it over me and be all smug about it and I'd be on the verge of ordering him assassinated all the time –"

"I'm sure Oshitari wouldn't be that bad," interrupted Tezuka. He saw that Atobe was starting to get oddly flustered explaining himself and decided to lessen his misery a bit. "But I'll do that. _We'll_ do that, Yumi and I. You don't have to worry. Besides, it's not like Yumi has ever ignored Suzume-san."

A look of relief passed over Atobe's face.

"You're going there for business?" queried Tezuka.

Atobe nodded. He waved a hand at a waiter and gestured a request for more water. "We've a new branch opening there and I asked to be in charge of the process."

"I see." Tezuka had a feeling that business wasn't the only reason for it.

The waiter came back and refilled Tezuka's glass as well as Atobe's. Atobe drank from his cup and turned his blue eyes towards the tennis courts with a distant, unseeing gaze. Tezuka gave him a few seconds to stare. Then he asked, "Are you running away, Atobe?"

The question made Atobe's eyes snap back to him. There was an angry, indignant look in them. He glared wordlessly at Tezuka for a while before the anger subsided.

"Maybe," he admitted grudgingly. "I hate it when you're right," he muttered in an undertone.

Tezuka gave no indication as to whether he had heard Atobe or not.

Atobe closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "I can't stand to be in Tokyo right now. It's driving me crazy being here and seeing her but knowing that everything I've tried has failed and she _still_ doesn't think of me as more than a friend."

"How sure are you?"

"The woman practically ordered me to attend an _omiai_ with someone else, for goodness' sake! What does that tell you?" He glared at him again for a second, then added, "Don't answer that."

"Are you giving up then?"

"No – maybe – I don't know. All I know is I'm going _insane_ being in Japan now. Work is the only escape I have. And maybe I can at least clear my head when I'm out of here."

Atobe continued to stare at nothing in particular, a sort of controlled exasperation on his face. Tezuka wondered if Suzume knew the extent to which she affected Atobe.

"Don't look at me like that," snarled Atobe.

"I wasn't aware that I was looking at you 'like that,'" said Tezuka.

"Yes, you are! You've this – this – I-don't-understand-what-he's-doing look on your face."

"And you always say I have no facial expressions."

Atobe glared at him again. "Don't be a smart aleck. What would _you_ have done if your Hanazawa Yumi had refused you? Wouldn't you have felt like going away too?"

The sudden question saw Tezuka pause and think. Then he looked up and quietly replied, "I would have stayed, I think."

"What?"

"I'm not saying you're wrong to leave, Atobe."

Atobe began to find Tezuka's quiet, calm way of talking about serious subjects absolutely infuriating. How _did_ the man maintain his composure? It was like how Oshitari could sometimes talk in a constant and cool, but at the same time subtly mocking tone. Oh, for a day when he could see both of them lose their composures!

Tezuka went on. "But for me – even if she had said 'no' – I would have stayed."

"Why? How could you stand it?"

"Because… I cannot imagine not speaking to her or seeing her for so long. I can't imagine imposing such a long separation of that sort on myself in order to try to forget her." He stopped a second before continuing, "Maybe in a way that in itself is cowardice. I don't know; I'm certainly no judge of these things. But I do know that even if I couldn't be more than her friend, I would still wish to be at _least_ her friend."

Atobe stared at him a while before saying, "Why do you have to sound so damn perfect, Tezuka?"

"Perfect?"

"Yes, perfect!" snapped Atobe. "You don't do anything wrong, you say the 'good' things, you don't fail… I don't know how people like you manage to understand anyone else in your 'perfection!'"

"I am _not_ perfect." The almost angry tone in Tezuka's voice halted Atobe mid-rant. "Don't call me that. If I was perfect, I wouldn't have to worry about whether I'm doing the right thing or not in a relationship – if I was attentive enough or if I was ignoring her at times. If I was perfect, I wouldn't wonder if I'm good enough for her. I wouldn't worry that I'm not capable of making her as happy as she should be. If I was perfect – if I was perfect, I wouldn't have nearly lost Yumi to someone else."

Atobe had been feeling more and more surprised by degrees, but the last sentence threw him completely. For some time, neither spoke. At last, Atobe got up from his chair and picked up his racquet and things. He jerked his head in the direction of the tennis courts and walked off. Tezuka stayed put a second longer before taking up his own bag and following Atobe back onto the courts.

One long game later, both of them came off the court breathing hard and drenched in sweat, but looking markedly less tense and strained. Still silent, they headed for the club's changing rooms.

When Atobe emerged, he found Tezuka seated in the lobby. He dropped down in another chair and said shortly, "Good game."

Tezuka nodded and glanced at his watch. "I need to go now."

Rising from his seat when Tezuka did, Atobe held out his hand to the other man. "I'll probably leave at the end of August or early September. You'll keep an eye on Suzume?"

"I will."

They shook hands – a firm, crisp handshake.

"Does this mean we're – friends, Tezuka?" asked Atobe.

Tezuka lifted one eyebrow. "Just because you once considered me a rival and basically tried to put me permanently out of the tennis scene by causing me to injure my arm doesn't mean I ever thought of you an _enemy_, Atobe."

Atobe winced. "There you go sounding all 'perfect' again," he said dryly.

Tezuka cracked a smile before bowing slightly and leaving.

----------

Suzume greeted her aunt with a hug. "Akiko-_obasan_! How are you? I haven't seen you for a while."

"Yes, and the last time I was here, you ran off halfway for some lunch appointment." The petite lady sat down. "Where's your mother?"

"She's out, but she'll be back in a while. I'm afraid you'll have to bear with me for the moment."

"Hm… You aren't going to dash off again on some thin excuse, are you?"

"_Obasan_! Are you accusing me of purposely running off?" Suzume said with an exaggerated expression of hurt.

"That's what you try to do whenever we ask you if you have any young men in your life."

Suzume looked a little embarrassed. "You always did see through me."

"Probably because you're just like me when I was your age."

"And that's why you're my favourite aunt!" she said, hugging her aunt again, embarrassment all gone. "But I _do_ wish you'd stop harping about a boyfriend for me."

"Your mother was married when she was younger than you."

"But _you_ got married when you were older than I am now."

"It's not nice to be cocky to your elders," said her aunt, calmly smoothing her skirt. "I may have gotten married at a later age, but I was attending _omiais_ when I was your age. I was a nice, obedient daughter and went to meet all the suitable young men that my parents – and _my_ aunts – suggested I meet."

"That was back then..."

"Are you implying that I'm ancient, girl?"

Suzume couldn't help grinning. "I'm not! But times _have_ changed you know. People don't go for _omiais_ that much unless they're really turning into cranky old maids or bachelors. Even if they do go, they don't go that often, and the number of _omiais_ you'd all set up for me would make me look old! _Obasan_, are _you_ implying that I'm going to be a cranky old spinster?"

"You might be if you don't get a move on."

"I'm not that bad! I _have_ had boyfriends in the past, you know." Suzume noticed the maid come in with a tray of drinks and biscuits. She motioned for the girl to put it down on the table.

"The past is the past," said her aunt. "You _had_ boyfriends. Now you have none. Yes, do pour the tea. Thank you." She nodded to the maid.

"Doesn't mean I can't get another one."

"And you saying that doesn't mean that you _will_ either. Come, my dear. Do let me introduce you to someone. Nagasawa Takeshi is a really nice young fellow."

"Maybe, but I've seen him in photos in the business section of the newspapers and he has curly hair. I hate curly hair on men." _Better they have hair like Keigo's – straight and well-cut._

Ookawa Akiko gave her niece a look and took up a cup from the table. "Hair doesn't make the man, my dear. Then what about that boy you met in college? Tsuchiya something or other, I forgot. I recall you said he's good-looking." She sipped the tea. "This is good tea."

"Tsuchiya Akira. You have the strangest memory for all the guys I know, _obasan_. He was pretty good-looking, I'll admit. But I haven't seen him since graduation and besides, I've seen quite a few better-looking men since. You should see Yumi's friend! Now _that_ is one handsome man…"

"Is he now? Are you sure he's just her 'friend'?"

"Yes, definitely!" Suzume laughed. "She has a boyfriend now! Someone else, not the one I'm talking about, though her boyfriend isn't too bad either."

"Hm. Then why don't you try for this 'handsome man?' Shouldn't be too hard since your friend knows him and you seem to know him too."

"Nah… He's nice and undoubtedly handsome, but somehow… Not my type. His eyes are a little too piercing for me, though. They're this electric blue colour. I think I like a slightly less striking blue…" Suzume trailed off, an image of an all too familiar pair of different blue eyes suddenly forming in her mind.

"I have a friend whose nephew is an engineer," said her aunt, unaware of her thoughts. "I hear he's a pleasant young man and easy on the eyes too. I've seen photos – not a model, but passable as far as the young men today go."

"An engineer? How dull!"

Raised eyebrows greeted her remark. "First, you criticise the hair. Now you criticise the job? Really, Suzume…" She placed her cup back on the table.

"I can't imagine living with an engineer for the rest of my life! He probably wouldn't understand anything about art! He'd be all about math and physics and whatnot."

"What else do you object to then? Lawyers? Doctors? Professors? Businessmen? Architects?"

Suzume leaned back on the sofa. "Never really thought about lawyers – none of those you ever wanted to introduce me to were lawyers. Doctors, bearable I guess. Professors, nah. Businessmen and architects are okay."

"There are a whole lot of them who are in business. You've met some of them, I think, what with all your father's business associates. There's Okamoto, and Watanabe…"

Her aunt reeled off three more names and Suzume just listened, a wry look on her face. She mentally struck them off the list. _Okamoto – has a girlfriend already. Hahah, bet you don't know that, obasan. Watanabe – ergh, just not appealing. Sakei… Nah. Kawaguchi… Also no. Hisagi – nice, but boring conversationalist. We've nothing in common. At least I can carry a decent conversation with Keigo… _

She shook her head slightly, as if to clear it. What was she doing, thinking of him again?

"Suzume?"

"Ah, sorry, _obasan_. I got distracted. What were you saying?"

"I said – what about that Atobe Keigo?"

Suzume stared. Had her aunt developed some sort of sixth sense? "What about him?"

"He's in business, he has straight hair and I don't recall you complaining about his looks before. He just had the most appalling dress sense when he was younger, but he seems to have gained some better sense by now, judging by his appearance at last week's charity dinner."

Suzume felt like laughing again. Atobe would just die if he heard anyone say his dress sense had been horrible (even though it really had been awful). "Yeah, I think he's improved in that department by now. No more ruffles and outrageously purple outfits. Or those flamboyant rose prints."

"That's a relief. So, how about young Atobe, hm?"

"He's my friend," said Suzume. She laughed, but even she knew it was a weak laugh. For some reason, the 'friend' excuse sounded flimsy now.

"No better place to start. And I'm not blind, girl. I saw the way he looked at you at that charity dinner." Akiko looked at her niece.

Suzume flinched inwardly at her aunt's sharp observation. She didn't think her aunt would have noticed that, although she herself had had a heightened awareness of it. "We're friends, _obasan_," she repeated with a sigh.

"I'm not saying that you aren't friends. I'm saying that there's more than that. Old I may be, but blind I'm not. It's quite clear that the man is besotted with you. Did you not know it? No, I can see from your face that you _do_ know it," the lady said, taking in Suzume's discomfort at a glance. "Well then… Why not him? You don't like him?"

"I do – otherwise he wouldn't be my friend in the first place. But I don't think I'm in love with him."

"You don't _think_ you're in love with him? By the looks of you, I suggest you do a little more _thinking _about that statement."

----------

Yumi flipped through a magazine, looking at the styles put out by other designers and fashion houses that season. Suzume was at her table, apparently doing some drawing on a paper. Yumi debated whether or not to tell her what she had heard. It was likely that Suzume already knew anyway. Tezuka hadn't said if Atobe planned to tell her or not. He hadn't told her to keep it from Suzume either. Casually, she spoke up.

"I heard Atobe's going to Germany in a week or so."

"Hm?" Suzume looked up. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Tezuka told me." Yumi didn't lift her eyes from the page she was reading.

Suzume frowned. "I haven't heard anything of the sort. What makes him say that?"

"He says Atobe told him."

"Hmm… Well, he's said nothing to me about going anywhere. But maybe it's just a short trip or something. He does that sometimes – goes off somewhere for a few days for business stuff and then comes back. Last time I think he went to the U.S."

"It didn't sound short to me," said Yumi, turning the page. "He said something about Atobe going off for several months."

"Several months? Maybe Tezuka heard wrong. If he was going to be gone that long, I'm pretty sure he'd tell me," Suzume said, shaking her pen to get the ink flowing. "He usually tells me the more important stuff."

Yumi shot a look at Suzume. She really didn't seem to know.

"I don't know. I don't think Tezuka heard wrong," said Yumi.

"Ah, stupid pen." Suzume shook the pen harder then pressed it to the paper again. "Finally." To Yumi she said, "Keigo would have told me if he was going away for that length of time. It's not like him to just disappear without me knowing."

"I guess…" Yumi knew how to tell when Suzume wasn't going to believe her, so she dropped the subject. She couldn't help wondering if Suzume didn't believe her, or didn't _want_ to believe her. It was her personal opinion that Suzume cared more for Atobe than she thought she did.

Suzume didn't think much about what Yumi said. She dismissed it as an error on Tezuka's part. Atobe had _always_ told her when he would be away for long periods of time. Well, "always" since they became closer friends in high school anyway. That he would go off to Germany for months without telling her seemed impossible.

But she got a phone call from Oshitari two days later that overturned her opinion of that.

"Stop, Yuushi. What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to join the lot of us tomorrow night for a 'good-riddance-for-six-months' dinner for Atobe."

"No, before that!"

"Er, I said he's going to Germany – until February or March."

"_What_?"

"You didn't know?" Oshitari sounded genuinely puzzled.

"Do I sound like I knew, idiot?"

"I assumed he would have told you…"

"I assumed he would have too!" she snapped.

Suzume barely heard what Oshitari said next. All of a sudden she felt angry. And a little confused. And angry. Very angry. Almost unreasonably angry. _What_ was he playing at, that Atobe Keigo? Going off to Germany for six months? And more importantly, going off and _not telling her_?

----------

Yumi's discussion with their patternmaker was interrupted by Suzume storming out of the office and trying to put on her red coat while holding her handbag at the same time.

"Yumi!" she called across the room. "I'm going out for a while."

"Huh? Where?"

"To kill someone. Call me if you need anything." With that, she blazed out of the studio like a furious red whirlwind.

The patternmaker looked at Yumi. "She's not serious, is she?"

Yumi glanced at the door, then back. "I hope not."

----------

Suzume had been to his business headquarters often enough to have little trouble getting to the floor where his personal office was. It was like every other part of the building – sleek lines of pale grey and white with gold accents. Whoever the interior designer was, he – or she – had done an excellent job of it. When she got there, the secretary, a smartly-dressed woman called Anezaki, rose to greet her.

"Takahashi-san, how nice to see you! Are you here to see Atobe-san? He's is in his office; I'll let him know you're here."

"Hello, Anezaki." Suzume gave her a cursory nod. "Thank you, but no, don't bother announcing me." She went straight to his door, ignoring the curious looks of the other staff around.

"Takahashi-san!"

She flung open the door and slammed it shut behind her. Atobe looked up from his table, startled.

"Suzume!" he exclaimed, standing and coming round the table. "What are you – "

"Don't say another word!"

He shut his mouth immediately. She looked furious. It seemed wiser to obey.

"_You_." She thrust an accusing finger at him. "How could you not tell me you were going to Germany? Why did even Yumi know before I did? Why did I have to hear it from other people and not from you? Why didn't you tell _me_? Why?" she demanded.

Atobe stared, too stunned to interrupt her torrent of angry words. He barely registered the rest of her tirade as his mind attempted to recover from the shock of her angry arrival and sort out his thoughts.

"…You told everyone but me! How could you? Am I so unimportant that you couldn't be bothered to tell me, Keigo?"

His eyebrows shot up. _Unimportant?_

"How is it Tezuka knew – and Yumi and Yuushi knew? And – and – I can't even remember who else! Why did everyone seem to know but _me_?" A lump rose in her throat as she fought to keep up with fury and other emotions that were pouring out of her. "Why didn't you –"

Atobe took one long stride towards her, caught her round the waist and pressed his lips onto hers.

It took Suzume about less than two seconds to decide to (temporarily) abandon her fury. She could scold him later. His lips were insistent and fierce as he continued to kiss her, and she responded with equal fervour. One hand found its way into his hair and the other clutched at his collar, pulling him nearer, to the detriment of the finely-starched article.

"Never – say that – you're – unimportant – to me," he told her between kisses. Then he drew back and looked at her. "_Never_."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to hear you say, 'Oh, well, see you again next year, Keigo!' or 'Call sometimes!' Anything that 'just friends' would say. I couldn't stand to hear it."

"What's wrong with that?" she asked, even though she thought she knew the answer.

"Nothing except that those are reminders of how you think – thought – of me. As a 'friend' only."

"And what do you think my opinion is of you now?"

Long moments passed while his blue eyes searched her grey-green eyes.

"Well…" As he brushed aside her bangs, the tiniest bit of hesitation in his voice. "I've asked you to marry me before, Suzume. If I ask again –"

"Yes."

It was quite a while before either of them was able to talk again, but when he found his breath and voice, Atobe said, "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Let's get married tomorrow."

"_What?_"

"We'll do it as simple as you want – I don't care."

"Whoa. Back up, lover."

"Hm… I like the sound of that name," he said, burying his nose in her hair and smiling.

She shifted so that she could look him in the eyes. "Who said I want a simple wedding?"

"You don't?" He sounded surprised.

"Seeing as a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, I rather fancied a grand one. Glittering chandeliers, the best food and wine, gowns fit for a princess… The whole works. That'll take some time to plan." Tilting her head towards him again, she added, "Besides, why should it be a 'simple' wedding when the Takahashi heiress is marrying young master Keigo?"

He grinned. "Why indeed?"

The phone rang and he reached out to pick it up. "Yes, Anezaki? Oh. Put her through." He looked at Suzume. "I think your partner's looking for you."

"Yumi?"

He nodded as the call was routed to his line. "Ah, Hanazawa-san? Yes, she's right here. What, she didn't answer your calls? Perhaps she didn't hear her phone…"

Suzume found her bag on the table and pulled out her hand phone. The announcement "6 MISSED CALLS" stared her accusingly in the face. It was nearly one by the clock on her phone. Almost an hour since she flew out of her studio. Yumi would have a fine time laughing at her for going out so enraged but coming back engaged. Engaged… To Atobe Keigo. It was strangely funny somehow. Did she love him? Her mind rang with an unequivocal "yes."

Atobe handed the phone to her with an amused look. "She wants to talk to you."

She took the phone. "Yu? Sorry, I didn't hear the calls. I – er – I was preoccupied when you called." Atobe smirked and she flicked a fingernail against his shoulder to discourage the smirk. "Anything important? Oh… What time is that scheduled for again? Three? Okay, I'll –"

Atobe snatched the phone away from Suzume. "I'll have her back by 2.55. I'm taking her out to lunch." He nodded. "Yes, don't worry. And one more thing before you go." Still holding the phone to his ear, he took Suzume's hand, kissed it and looked at her with an expression that was half-smile, half-smirk. "Congratulate us, Hanazawa-san. And tell Tezuka that you're both invited to the wedding."

* * *

If it was unsatisfactory... I'm sorry. :(

Originally I planned this story to last 12 chapters with no epilogue. But in the end I gave up trying to make Atobe happy (haha) and made it nine, with the tenth being an epilogue.

It was tough for me to write the last part - I've discovered that I'm an expert at making Atobe's life a misery, but I flop at making him happy. .;

On to the epilogue then!


	10. EPILOGUE

**Epilogue**

_Setting: Four years after Chapter 9. _**  
**

* * *

Atobe leaned against the doorjamb. "Do you plan on making a grand late entrance?"

Suzume looked at his reflection in her mirror. "No, I thought that was _your_ plan."

"I make grand entrances, but not late ones – at least not to my friend's wedding."

"We won't be late. I wouldn't dream of being late to Yuushi's wedding, so don't worry. I'm almost done," she said, fishing out a pair of earrings from a box. She put them on, checked herself in the mirror and turned. "How do I look?"

"Like the wife of Atobe Keigo should look: gorgeous."

She picked up her handbag. "Hmm. Does that mean you're going to divorce me and marry a younger, more beautiful woman when I get old and ugly?"

"You'll get old, but you'll never be ugly so I won't have to," he said, catching her from behind as she passed by him in the doorway. "Besides, when you're born with beauty I don't think you'll ever lose it."

"Oh really?"

He nuzzled her neck and took in the scent of her perfume. "Yes, really. Just look at me, for example."

She turned to face him. "Looking at you, I fear my own natural-born beauty would fade as quickly." His expression turned irritated and she laughed. "Oh come, you know I'm joking. Surely after four years of being married you know that." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Let's go. Don't want to be late," she said, starting to walk away.

Atobe pulled her back. "Surely after four years of marriage, you don't think I'm going to let you get away with _that_ miserable kiss?"

"If you don't, we're going to be late," she said, squirming a little.

"Late? Late for what?" He bent and kissed her without giving her a chance to protest.

Suzume broke away moments later, slightly breathless. "Keigo… Really, we'll be late."

"So?" He raised her chin and kissed her again. "He was late for _my_ wedding," he added with a grin before moving his lips to kiss the side of her face.

"You're ruining my makeup," she murmured, her eyes involuntarily closing. Her bag fell to the floor with a muffled sound but she barely noticed it, much less remembered that she was holding a bag in the first place.

"Doesn't matter. You're beautiful even without it." Then he captured her lips with his again, kissing her more thoroughly than before. He stepped backwards into their room, taking her with him, and slammed the door shut with one hand.

----------

Yumi was talking to some of her old girl friends when Oishi found her at their high school reunion dinner. She excused herself from their company to talk to him for a while.

"I haven't seen you in a few months," she said. "How are things? And how's Miyuki?"

"I'm doing all right, thanks. Miyuki's still in Okinawa."

Yumi regarded the green-eyed doctor for a moment and then drew him into a warm hug that said more than words of sympathy could.

"Thanks."

"You looked like you needed it," she said, patting his shoulder reassuringly.

"That bad, huh?"

"Not really. But there was just something about the way you said 'Okinawa' that got to me."

He smiled wryly. "Never mind that for now. I wanted to ask how _you_ are. I just heard the news from Nomiya –"

She held up a hand and cut him short. "Yeah," she said with a slight smile. "That's right. But let's not discuss that here. I haven't told Syuusuke or Sae yet. Only our families know so far. And Emiko too – I told her last week. Those two will go ballistic to find out I didn't immediately tell them…"

"Why didn't you tell Fuji yet?"

"Yes," chimed in a new voice. "Why didn't you tell Fuji yet?"

Yumi turned at the light pressure of a hand on her shoulder. "Syuu!"

"Yo," said Fuji to her. He waved slightly to Oishi. "Nice to see you here too. Now, what's this that you haven't told me yet, _hime_?" His eyes gleamed with the look of having potentially uncovered some interesting news.

Yumi sighed. "And I had this whole delightful plot thought up on how to best shock you and Sae with it at the same time…" She met Fuji's intrigued look with as steady a gaze as she could manage and said, "I'm expecting."

For a moment, Fuji just blinked at her. "Expecting what?"

She stared at him. "A present from you."

He stared back. "Oh."

She rolled her eyes. "A _baby_, baka. I'm pregnant." The last was said with the faintest flush on her face.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Fuji turned to look at Oishi, who nodded. "So my colleague tells me."

The blue-eyed stare returned to Yumi. "Shall I go up on stage and make the announcement?"

"If you do that, Syuu, I will kill you."

"If you killed me, Rei would be sad," said Fuji, referring to his fiancée.

"Actually," said Oishi, "I think Tezuka would kill him first."

"Oh… That's right. And I'm sure Rei would sympathise with us."

"What friends I have – full of murderous intent," said Fuji. He chuckled. "Anyway, congrats!" Enfolding her in a quick hug, he went on to say, "Now, how do you plan to drop this bombshell on Sae?"

"Not sure yet. I'll have to rethink my initial plan since that one had the both of you in the same place for maximum effect."

Fuji laughed. "So, where's the father?" he asked, casting a look around. "Assuming he knows he's going to be a father."

Oishi laughed and Yumi looked indignant. "Of course he knows! You think I wouldn't tell him? Anyway, he's somewhere around." She gestured vaguely with a hand. "He went off with Arisada to talk to some of the others while I was talking to Hana and Tatsuki."

"How delightful. You have no idea where your husband is!"

"… I wonder how Rei stands you."

"The same way you stand me and have done so for all these years," replied Fuji placidly.

----------

Yumi leaned back on her palms and looked up at the sky. She could pick out a few stars, but not many. Light pollution from the city made it hard to stargaze. But she figured seeing a few was better than none. A night breeze blew past and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the cool wind.

She heard Tezuka step onto the porch behind her. She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. He was holding two cups and set one down by her hand.

"Hot chocolate," he said, sitting down next to her.

"Oh! Thanks," she said, giving him a surprised and grateful look. "Tea, I suppose?" she asked, nodding towards his cup.

"Yeah. Did you tell Fuji already, by the way? He gave me the most impish look and shook my hand extra hard before we left."

"I had to – I was talking to Oishi-kun and he overheard a bit so I _had_ to tell him." She shrugged. "There goes my Shock-Syuusuke-and-Sae plan."

Tezuka chuckled a little before subsiding into silence. They sat quietly for some time, looking at the stars and enjoying each other's company and their warm drinks in the cool night.

"What shall we call her?" he said suddenly.

"Her?"

"The little one."

"How do you know it's a girl? It's still way too early to tell."

"Just a feeling. A guess."

"What if it's a boy?"

"We'll just think of another name then."

"Better start thinking. _I_ think it'll be a boy."

"Hmm…" He set his cup down. "Well, girl or boy, I don't think it matters. It'll be _ours_ all the same."

Yumi smiled at him for a second, then shifted to sit straighter and leaned towards him. Then she brushed her fingers along his jaw line and kissed him.

"What was that for?" he asked seconds later, looking pleasantly surprised.

"For being such a great guy – and because I felt like it," she replied.

She started to move away but he turned her face towards him again and kissed her deeply.

"Finish what you started," he murmured against her lips.

"If most of our friends ever heard or even _glimpsed_ you being romantic, I think they'd just about keel over from shock," she said with a small giggle at the next chance she got to speak. He grinned slightly and proceeded to continue what they had been doing until the need for air became overwhelming.

Tezuka placed a light kiss on the base of her neck before enfolding her in his arms. He felt content. Fifteen years ago he would never have imagined being satisfied with anything less than being among the highest echelons of tennis players and starting a family hardly even crossed his mind until he had finished university, but that just proved that 'growing up' could change things a lot. And grow up he had.

----------

"… So I get to be the godfather," finished Saeki, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Careful with that chair – it's wobbly," warned Kurobane. "What about Fuji?"

"What does he need to be a godfather for? He's getting married soon. He'll have little Fuji Syuusukes running all over the place in no time –"

_Scary_, thought Kurobane.

"– and since I'm the unattached one, it's only fitting. Yu agrees." Saeki grinned, then said, "Tell me when it's four o'clock. I need to go pick up my niece and take her to her piano lesson." He bent his head back and closed his eyes. "I'm going to take a nap now."

"What? Here?"

"I can't sleep at my own place – it gets the afternoon sun. Too hot. It's comfy here," said Saeki without opening his eyes and leaning further back in the chair. It creaked.

"You're not going to make a habit of this, are you?" Kurobane eyed him as though he suspected that that was indeed what was going to happen.

"Who knows," Saeki remarked lazily.

"And what do you expect me to do while you nap here?"

"Sleep too? You still have your bed." Saeki swivelled the chair to one side so he could prop his feet up on the windowsill.

Kurobane wondered what would happen if he kicked Saeki. Dabide had never retaliated in kind to any punishment delivered for his lame jokes, but Saeki probably would – more out of boyish fun than anything else though. But it would still hurt. And his room would be turned upside down in the ensuing ruckus.

A loud creak drew his eyes to where Saeki was, long legs stretched out and chair tilted back. The creak seemed to come from the part where the chair joined the rollers.

"Oi, Sae…"

"Hmm?"

"Don't lean so far back."

"I know, I know." He opened his eyes. "Don't worry. It's not going to break." To demonstrate, he propped one foot against the windowsill to push the chair backwards even more. "See?"

The chair didn't break.

But even as he pushed, it gave another loud creak and slid out from under him, landing him on the carpet with a thud and rolling serenely away to the other end of the room, the top part still wobbling.

Kurobane helped Saeki up, miraculously keeping a straight face. Then he looked at the rogue chair, now quietly standing in the far corner.

"Well… It didn't break."

----------

"Suzume!" called Atobe, finally catching sight of her in the busy room.

She turned and saw him. "Keigo!" She frowned. "You're not supposed to be backstage. Why are you – oh, what?" A man with a hairbrush and scissors in his hand tapped her shoulder and asked her something. "I'll be right there," she said. She looked apologetically at Atobe. "Sorry, no time to talk right now. And you're not supposed to be here! Anyway, go sit outside and amuse yourself, okay? I'll see you later."

Being thus turned out of the dressing room, Atobe stuffed his hands into his pockets and wondered what in the world he was supposed to do until "later." He looked at his watch. The runway show wasn't due to start for another half an hour. He made a face. He should have taken up Sawada's offer to go for lunch first after the meeting. Suzume wouldn't have noticed even if he slid into the room after the show began. She'd be backstage with Yumi coordinating the show anyway.

He strolled aimlessly around the garden area outside the main building for a while, contemplating if he should call Sawada and tell him that he'd join him after all. There were people milling around – probably those who had been at the earlier session and were now waiting for Suzume's show. An expression that was half-smile, half-smirk crossed his face. _Suzume_'s show. To some extent, he couldn't help but feel proud. It was rather interesting to have a fashion designer wife. (At least now no one could say he had bad taste in clothes. He would have legitimate reason to get back at them if they did – since they'd be indirectly insulting his wife... And he couldn't let that go, could he?)

Noticing that the main doors had opened, he followed the crowd that was slowly streaming in. He cast a look around the hall for any familiar face – and found Tezuka. The other man was sitting quietly in one of the pale blue-grey chairs that lined the runway, reading a book.

Atobe sat down in the chair next to him and folded his arms. "You're early."

Eyes still on the book in his hand, Tezuka said, "So are you." He finished reading the last sentence of the paragraph and then closed the book, but kept one finger between the pages to mark his place. "Why are you here this early?"

"Had nothing better to do after my meeting. You?"

"I brought Yumi here."

"Oh. You've been here the whole time then?"

"Pretty much."

"Didn't think you were interested in this sort of stuff," said Atobe, flicking a hand around the hall to indicate "this sort of stuff."

"Not really." Tezuka removed his glasses, blew off a speck of dust and put them back on again. "But Yumi is. So I try." He shrugged slightly.

"Hm." Atobe looked up at the floodlights hanging from the ceiling. "That reminds me. Suzume told me the news yesterday. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Married only a year and already going to have a kid, eh? Been 'busy,' I see," said Atobe with his trademark smirk.

The other man merely regarded him with a disinterested glance and then turned towards the runway. "Not as 'busy' as you," he said coolly. "Certainly not so much that I'm late for other people's weddings."

Atobe's smirk vanished. Where had Tezuka heard that from? He most certainly hadn't been at Oshitari's wedding. "Sometimes I think I liked you better when you didn't talk as much," he grumbled as the lights dimmed for the show.

Tezuka shifted to a slightly more comfortable position in his chair and put the book on his lap. "I hardly talked in school," he remarked mildly, "and yet one would have thought you didn't like me back then either."

Atobe said something, but was drowned out by the music starting and the applause as the show began. He didn't seem to notice that he couldn't be heard and Tezuka didn't bother asking him to repeat himself so all he caught seconds later – once the applause had died down and the first model took to the runway – was, "… and when did you start talking back to me anyway?"

Tezuka wondered what made Atobe think that he wasn't supposed to 'talk back' to him in the first place. He refrained from voicing his thoughts, though. Some things were just more fun kept to oneself. He simply shrugged and said nothing.

The nonchalant shrug annoyed Atobe even more. He had a suspicion Tezuka was laughing at him on the inside. By the time he worked up something scathing to say, Tezuka interrupted him with an aggravatingly calm, "I don't think Suzume-san would be very appreciative if you were here but remember absolutely nothing of the actual show, Atobe."

At that point he became aware that probably almost half of the models had already come and gone on the catwalk and grudgingly dragged his attention to the show. Aggravating though he might be, Tezuka had a point. Suzume was never too amused when he was present at one of their shows and yet appeared to recall not even the last dress to come out on the runway.

So he watched. A bit apathetically, but he watched. He had little interest in women's fashion – unless it was on Suzume; in which case it then became _very_ interesting. He didn't particularly understand the ins and outs of the fashion world, but he didn't doubt that she was skilled at what she did, and had excellent business sense to boot. Atobe never bothered denying that he was rather proud of her. No reason to deny it when she was sophisticated, skilled and absolutely gorgeous. He defied any of his acquaintances and friends to find a girlfriend or a wife like her.

Tezuka wondered what that huge smirk on Atobe's face was for. He could think of a few explanations for it, but decided not to bother guessing. Atobe had a smirk on half the time anyway. It was miracles that it didn't get stuck like that permanently after all those years of smirking.

He noted as the last few models came out one by one. A feeling of relief washed over him. He tried to be interested, but overall had generally failed to cultivate a decent awareness of the fashion industry, only managing a mild interest at most. Yumi probably knew it, though, since she didn't really get upset whenever he eventually admitted ignorance of the goings-on in the fashion shows. That was a blessing – he didn't fancy getting her angry at him. Whenever she did, it normally resulted in an argument and that was never a pleasant experience. But then he would rather argue with her than with anyone else as long as it meant he was still _with_ her.

All the models emerged on the catwalk again for one last turn and the audience applauded as they had at the beginning. He straightened himself a little so he could see better and there, as he had learnt to expect, at the end of the line of models, were Suzume and Yumi. He knew she probably couldn't see him because of the glaring floodlights trained on the catwalk. But he didn't mind. She knew he was there, and usually the knowledge alone was enough for her.

Anyhow he was glad he didn't have anything urgent to do at work that weekend so he could attend the show. Yumi had been moodier than usual lately – "it's the hormones or something," his father had said, "your mother was like that at first too when she had you" – and that morning itself she had been somewhat blue when they left the house. It was added relief to see her looking happier for the moment at least. He didn't think many things in life could compare to seeing her smile.

Then when all the lights were turned on again and people either milled around or streamed out, he rose from his seat.

"Where are you going?" asked Atobe.

"To find my wife," he answered with a faint "what else" expression on his face. "Aren't you going to look for yours?"

"Of course I am!" Atobe stood up and joined him. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" He flipped some of strands of hair off his forehead. (There really was no other word for it, in Tezuka's opinion – Atobe _flipped_ his hair. Apparently even Suzume couldn't knock all the vanity out of him. Arrogance was one thing, vanity was another.)

"What's with that look?" demanded Atobe, catching a flicker of amusement from Tezuka.

"Nothing."

* * *

THE END.

* * *

Thank you for reading, minna-sama!

Better be thankful for **Develicious,** who helped me get through this chapter (I think I fussed and struggled with it for well over a month) and especially helped with most of the 'sappy', romantic parts. D

I might - MIGHT - write an in-between story covering the four years between chapter 9 and the epilogue, but that would only revolve around Tezuka and Yumi, not Atobe and Suzume (though they might make appearances). I simply don't have the energy to keep on writing about Atobe (when he's happy).  
There's also some _possibility_ of stories about Saeki, Oishi, Fuji, Yukimura. But it's all up in the air right now, so there's _no guarantee_. Don't get your hopes up in case I don't write them. _If _I do write them, I might not post them here either. Why? Various reasons, including that the formatting annoys me, and the flamer culture. I'll leave them on Endless-Dreamers or have my own small space somewhere for the stories.

Oh well.

We'll see what happens, yea?

I hope you enjoyed reading this story. :)


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